A Different Choice
by WarriorsFreak
Summary: Complete. Considering re-editing. What if Squirrelflight had chosen Ashfur over Brambleclaw? What will the kits of this union have to experience? What losses and trails must they overcome to find happiness, if that's even possible for them? Perhaps, this twisted union wasn't supposed to have a happy ending. Book One of Three. Read and review please.
1. Chapter 1

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Discaimer:

I don't own Warriors.

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**Note: **Not only has Squirrelflight made a different choice. But Hollyleaf, Jayfeather, and Lionblaze were never born.  
I just thought it would add better development, it'll happen in the future when the plots are added because of their non-existence.  
This story takes place after Long Shadow.

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Squirrelflight opened her eyes, she looked at the sun around her, filling the den with light. She loved the feel, she wandered out into the clearing feeling the warmth of the sun drown her fur until it was warm as it. It seemed like a perfect morning.

"Squirrelflight." a growl came from behind her. Surprised by the hostile voice, she turned around to see the deputy, Brambleclaw, behind her.

"Hello Brambleclaw." Squirrelflight returned the icy cold growl.

"So, what are you doing?"

"I'm enjoying the sun. Have a problem with that? Do you not like sharing the sun? The Clan? My father?" she knew that had hit him where it hurt. He'd been spending a lot of time with her father, Firestar, lately. She had gotten to know him when she was a kit. He was her kin, and she loved her father. Brambleclaw had been trying to get closer with him since he had become deputy.

"Why you little..." he started, he clawed the ground angrily.

"Won't hurt me, will you? Leave me alone Brambleclaw." she growled. She walked away, "I'm going to enjoy the sun some more if you don't mind. Your majesty." she sneered angrily.

She felt the sun some more, but inside, fury raged inside of her. Hotter than the sun. "Squirrelflight," a voice came. Squirrelflight jumped around and yowled,

"What!?" then she realized it was just her sister Leafpool. "Oh, sorry."

"It's all right, I saw the fight you had with Brambleclaw a moment ago."

"Oh." she sighed. "It's not my fault, he makes me so angry. I can't stand it."

"I know it. He came to me the other day asking if there was an herb to cure his world of you."

"I can't believe him."

"Everything will be alright in the end." Leafpool reassured.

"I'm going to hold that to you." Squirrelflight joked. She sat down, "So, do you think you'll get an apprentice soon?"

"I don't know. No cat has showed any interest in being a medicine cat. I'll find one eventually."

"Hopefully."

"Well, what are we going to do now?" Leafpool asked, when Brambleclaw came rushing over.

"Squirrelflight! You're going to go clean the elders bedding. Leafpool! Go do, medicine cat, stuff." he yowled.

"Don't tell a medicine cat what to do!" Leafpool mewed standing up.

"Besides, that is an apprentice duty. I'm a warrior. We already have two apprentices cleaning them right now." she huffed, pointing to Icepaw walking by with a jaw filled with dirty bedding.

"Then go on patrol, just get out of camp! Do something helpful!" she tom yowled.

"Fine I will! Whens the next hunting patrol going."

"Now, Brackenfur is leading it."

"Then I'm going with him." She turned to see the golden-brown warrior looking for somebody to go with him.

"Brackenfur! I'm going on the hunting patrol with you." The golden brown warrior smiled. Suddenly her apprentice, Foxpaw walked by. "Foxpaw, you're coming with me on a hunting patrol. She walked over to the head of the patrol. "Foxpaw's coming too."

"Thanks Squirrelflight, nobody seemed to want to come."

"Your welcome."

"We still need on more warrior." he looked around. Then he saw a cat wander past. "Ashfur! Want to come on a hunting patrol?" he called.

The gray tom looked at Brackenfur, then he saw Squirrelflight, "Alright." he nodded and walked up to the two cats.

"Okay, let's go hunt then." Squirrelflight mewed. "I suggest by the Sky Oak. There should be seeds around there since it's newleaf. Prey will be coming for food."

"Good idea Squirrelflight." Brackenfur mewed.

As the group stepped out of the entrance, Squirrelflight saw Brambleclaw's eyes blaze with anger. She stuck her tongue out, knowing that this only made the deputy angrier.

The cats started walking away, Squirrelflight and Ashfur fell in perfect step with each other. "What's wrong?" he asked. "And don't tell me that you're not upset, I can tell." he smiled.

Squirrelflight looked at him. "The usual problem."

"Brambleclaw still angry?"

"Yeah."

"Why can't he get over it?"

"Brambleclaw's stubborn. He was like that on the great journey too. Always thinking that he knew what was right. Because of him we almost starved." Squirrelflight laughed.

"Well, he can't be angry forever."

"Maybe not at us..." she let her voice trail off.

"What do you mean?" Ashfur asked.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. Forget I said anything." she quickened her pace.

"What were you going to say?"

"I don't know." she meowed, her voice tense with nervousness.

"You know. Tell me Squirrelflight."

"I don't want to."

"Stop sounding like a kit. Please Squirrelflight, just tell me."

"I'm not going to tell you. Not until I want to." she mewed.

"Can you at least tell me when you'll tell me?"

With a sigh Squirrelflight stopped. Ashfur walked up to her face. "Please Squirrelflight." His eyes large and begging.

Another long piercing sigh. Then she mewed something that couldn't be understood, it was to soft.

"What?" Another pause, then Squirrelflight mewed so that only he could hear.

"I'm going to have kits. Your kits Ashfur."

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**Note:**

OH YEAH! I DID THE UNTHINKABLE!  
I'M MAKING SQUIRRELFLIGHT HAVE ASHFUR'S KITS!  
EVEN WORSE, SHE WANTED TO HAVE THEM!!!!  
MUAHAHAHA!

Review please. :D


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Warriors.

**Note:**

Whoever that was who wanted to know where I live, won't tell ya.  
I'm usually to lazy to look at reviews more than once so I don't know who that was.  
Second, send me angry reviews, I don't care, I'm continuing. If you don't like it, just stop reading. Simple as that.  
Third, yes, I have read Long Shadows and I do know that Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw are not the true parents. You can see that in my Jaystar story. I just didn't want them in this. There'll be something in future chapters that could easily be averted in they were born, but I want it more difficult. So that's why they aren't in this story. It has nothing to do with because Brambleclaw isn't Squirrelflights mate. But thank you to those people who thought I didn't know that and were just trying to inform me. It was a kind gesture.

**A Question that's Important:**

Now my readers. Consider the following:  
If the authors had decided that Ashfur would be Squirrelflight's mate, would we still hate him as much? Or would we hate Brambleclaw? Ask yourself that. And when you've found the answer, don't tell me. I don't want to know. But that's just a question, and that's the main reason I thought of this story. To see what would happen. For only a few moments, think of this please. Unless you were always an Ashfur hater. I didn't have a problem with Ashfur until Long Shadows. I was never that much of an Ashfur hater until then. But, I wanted to know what would happen to those Ashfur haters, if she had chosen Brambleclaw. Would we be Brambleclaw haters then? Ask yourself that please.

**Another Note:**

This takes place in the new-leaf after Hollyleaf, Jayfeather, and Lionblaze were born, if they were born in my story.

Oh, and thank you to those who were being patent and reading this. Let's get into the story now, shall we?

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**Chapter Two**

"What?" Ashfur gasped, he seemed breathless, and unable to gather air into his lungs.

"Let's hurry, Brackenfur is about three fox-tail ahead." Squirrelflight mewed, picking up her pace, trying to get closer to the leader of the patrol.

Ashfur hurried, those his eyes were wide and disbelief. "What?" he repeated.

"I'm not sure entirely. But for the last two sunrises I've felt something in my stomach. And I've been hungry all the time, I've heard the queens talking, and they've said they were hungry and tired most of the time when they were still expecting kits."

"So, you think, that you're going to have kits?" Ashfur mewed, relief flooding his voice, as if he had finally wrapped his mind around the idea of being a father.

"I think so. I may have kits, and I may not. Don't tell anyone about this. I don't want cats thinking that I'm expecting kits when I'm not sure."

"I just have one question for you."

"What is it?" Squirrelflight asked, quicking her pace up again.

"Why is Brambleclaw so angry at you?"

"He thinks that I should be his mate. He was angry before we were mates, and I guess his anger whelled even more now that I'm not his mate now." Squirrelflight guessed, the two were quiet as they reached Brackenfur and Foxpaw. It was as if silence was the only thing that could be now.

Ashfur didn't try to make a conversation, he just concentrated on hunting. He caught a sparrow and two mice. Brackenfur caught two voles. Foxpaw had caught a mouse. Squirrelflight had only caught a skinny pigeon. When they got back to camp, and had placed their fresh-kill in the pile, Squirrelflight was greeted by Brambleclaw.

"Brambleclaw. How has your day been?" she asked, false sweetness.

"Fine. Now, why don't you go on a patrol, and then a hunting patr-"

"Brambleclaw, the patrols have already left. If you don't mind, I'm going to take a nap." she said hotly, and wandered into the warriors den. She smiled as she fell into her mossy den, and almost immediatly had taken off into the dream world.

When she awoke, the sun had moved only a little across the sky. It was now a while past sunhigh, she looked around, Whitewing was grooming herself, and Graystripe was sleeping soundly. Squirrelflight stood up and stretched soundly, she felt everything move, but there was roughness in her stomach. She couldn't seem to stretch that without a small peice of pain shooting through her.

She looked to the sky, she smiled happily, and when she walked out, Brambleclaw came over to her. "Go on a patrol."

"No, I'm going to train Foxpaw until sun-down is beginning." she walked away, she saw her apprentice talking with Icepaw. "Foxpaw, come along. It's time to train." she called. The russet colored tom stood eagerly, and they walked out of the hollow.

As evening came close, mentor and apprentice entered the hollow once again. "Get some prey, then go to sleep. Tomarrow we'll do some battle traning." she mewed. She grabbed a sparrow for herself, and ate it eagerly. After her dinner, she snuck into the warrior den, there were only five empty nests. Her's, Brambleclaw's, Sandstorm's, Dustpelt's, and Spiderleg's. She knew that Sandstorm was probably sleeping with Firestar, again. The rest must be getting home late from the evening patrol.

As she tucked her tail over her noise, there was a strong scent of Ashfur, she looked, then remembered that Ashfur had made his nest next to hers almost a moon ago. She smiled, she liked this. She tucked her tail over her nose closer, then she felt something. A sudden, but almost unnoticable, lurch moved in her stomach. She knew that kits weren't supposed to be felt for a while, she couldn't be that far in, could she?

As she fell asleep, and image appeared in her mind. It was to fuzzy, so she wasn't sure what it could be. For the second that it was there, she wondered, then fall into sleeps awaiting arms, as she drifted off into calm sleep.

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**Remember, tell me if you like the story.**

**Tell me if you hate the story. I don't care.**

**Just review.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Warriors.  
Or the drawings on the cover.

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**Thank you to all of you who are being very encouraging!  
I just thought all you people out there who have sent me nice and helpful reviews needed a thanks.  
Thanks again, and enjoy the next chapter.**

**~ WarriorsFreak**

**

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Squirrelflight opened her eyes and saw the unfamiliar crossing of brambles in the nursery walls. It'd been her first night here in the nursery, and almost a moon since she had told Ashfur she might be expecting kits.

About a quarter moon after that she'd gone to Leafpool, after being checked out, Leafpool had confirmed that Squirrelflight was defiantly expecting kits. Joy and fear had pierced her heart at the same time. The day before Ashfur had convinced her to move into the nursery. Squirrelflight agreed, after convincing herself that if she moved into the nursery and became a queen, she wouldn't have to deal with Brambleclaw's constant barking, telling her to go on patrol, train Foxpaw, or clean bedding.

Squirrelflight stared at her surroundings, she looked toward her den-mates. She saw Ferncloud tucked in gently, sleeping soundly, Millie's nest was next to hers, she too was asleep. Daisy had a frown on her face, she didn't look comfortable, but she was sleeping all the same. Quietly Squirrelflight stood up, and tried to stretch, only to find that she couldn't stretch all that well with her swollen stomach.

She looked up to the ceiling, and saw the crossed brambles, slowly, Squirrelflight walked out, to brace herself for the next day. Almost forgetting about the kits that she held in her stomach.

As she walked out into the clearing, she was almost immediatly greeted with a cold stare from Brambleclaw. _'He must be upset since he can't tell me what to do for a long time now.'_she laughed in her head. With a chuckle, she went to grab a piece of fresh-kill.

"What are you doing Squirrelflight?" he asked, padding over to the queen.

"Grabbing this vole, then I'm going to go eat it. Why? Did you want it?" she asked snidely.

"No. It's all yours. So, it's true then. You're really going to have kits?" Brambleclaw asked, he seemed uncomfortable and shifted his paws.

"Yes. Why?"

"I dunno, it's just, you don't seem like the motherly type."

"What?" Squirrelflight growled through gritted teeth, fury filled her voice.

"I mean, you just don't seem like the one to have kits."

"Well, then you assumed wrong." And with that, Squirrelflight grabbed her vole and went into the nursery with it. She laid down in her nest, which Ashfur had insisted on making and had put soft feathers and moss in it, and felt everything seem to settle inside her, but she could steel feel the fire in her heart. The first bite she took, she tore at it angrily.

A sudden rustle surprised her, Millie was now awake, and she hadn't seen. "Good morning Millie." Squirrelflight mewed, trying to make her voice sound calm when inside a fire raged.

With a yawn, Millie mewed, "Hello." With a small giggle she mewed, "I almost forgot you had moved in here. So little changes in here, you get stuck in a pattern and don't notice much difference. I was just thinking, 'Who's nest is that?' When you walked in and reminded me."

Squirrelflight was quiet, she took another piece of the vole.

"So..." Millie mewed, trying to think of something to say. "How was your first night in the nursery?"

"It was fine. It was strange waking up in a new den, but fine all the same."

"That's good. I know what you mean, when I was traveling with Graystripe, it felt weird to wake up in a new enviorment everyday."

"It must have been." Squirrelflight agreed, thinking back to the Great Journey when she and the rest of the Clans had traveled over the mountains, and found their new homes.

Suddenly a rustling came from Millie's nest. Squirrelflight looked down, Bumblekit had awakened. He looked around, staring at the nursery. Then his eyes landed on Squirrelflight. "What you doing here?" he asked the ginger she-cat.

"Uh, well..." Squirrelflight hadn't expected this.

"Bumblekit, Squirrelflight's going to have her own kits to take care of soon. Like I have to take care of you." Millie said slowly, trying to explain this to her kit.

"Where are the kits going to come from?" Both Squirrelflight and Millie froze, not knowing what to say now. There was a sudden flash of black, white, and cream colored fur. Toadkit and Rosekit were play-fighting. Bumblekit looked at his mother, the gray kit wanted to join the two older kits in their play-fighting.

"Alright, just be careful." Millie mewed, and nudged her kit along.

Rosekit had pinned her brothe down, she laughed playfully, when Bumblekit did a clumsy pounce. The three kits became a small ball of black, white, dark cream, and gray ball. The rolled around, when they ran into Ferncloud, the three kits fell apart, looking at the queen. The gray she-cat awoke with a start, her head coming up immediately, and swerving to see what had hit her. Then her eyes laid on the three kits.

"S-sorry Ferncloud." Rosekit mewed.

"Yeah, sorry." Toadkit muttered.

Bumblekit stayed quiet.

"Bumblekit." Millie warned. "Say your sorry."

"Sorry." the kit muttered.

"It's all right." Ferncloud mewed. Then she noticed Squirrelflight. "Hello." she mewed.

"Hello." Squirrelflight mewed. She felt had felt a little uncomfortable lately, Ashfur was Ferncloud's brother, so it just felt a little akward she would be having Ferncloud's brother's kits.

Ferncloud must have seen. "It's all right Squirrelflight." she mewed.

Squirrelflight smiled, but even though she knew that Ferncloud was comfortable with it, she knew that she wouldnt be comfortable until after the kits were born.

Suddenly Daisy awoke yowling, "No!" she was trembling, and she panted after her yowl.

"Are you alright Daisy?" Ferncloud mewed gently.

"Was it the same dream?" Millie mewed. Daisy nodded. Squirrelflight tilted her head in confusion.

"How about you go get a peice of fresh-kill?" Ferncloud suggested. Daisy nodded again.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I keep having this dream." she mewed, standing, and then walking away.

"What's wrong with her?" Squirrelflight asked softly.

"For about a quarter moon now she's been having a nightmare. It keeps coming back, again and again. She's terrified. She says she hears kits being killed, or stolen. But they're crying, and mewling for their mother. Then there's a cruel laugh. Then she wakes up." Millie explained.

"That's terrible." Squirrelflight gasped.

"We know." Millie mewed.

"Though it can get annoying when she screams no all the time." Toadkit grumbled.

"Toadkit, don't be mean. What about the time you had a nightmare where you lost your tail. You wouldn't go to sleep that whole day and night." Rosekit mewed, tackling her brother.

Squirrelflight gave a silent chuckle, and remembered when she and Leafpool had been kits. They would play like that too.

The brambles suddenly started to shake, Ashfur walked in, smiling.

"Hello Ashfur." Ferncloud mewed. Ashfur nodded his head toward his sister, and walked up to Squirrelflight. "Oh, and here I was thinking that you were here to visit me." she teased. Millie and Squirrelflight gave a few chuckles. Even Ashfur laughed a little.

"Come on Ashfur, let's go outside." Squirrelflight mewed, unable to hide her laughter. She smiled as she stood up, and with that the ginger she-cat and the gray tom walked out.

"So, how was it, sleeping in the nursery?"

"It was fine. Why does everyone ask me that?" she mewed sarcastically.

"Well, you've been a warrior so long. Some cats think you won't adjust well to being in the nursery. I didn't think that, but you should here the rest of the warriors. Always asking. It's funny really."

"I don't see how. You should have seen Brambleclaw earlier. Going on and on how he thought I couldn't be a warrior. It angered me quite a bit I admit." she mewed.

She looked at Ashfur, he looked a little angered himself. "Ignore Brambleclaw, he's just a nuisance."

"No, really? Hadn't noticed that before." Squirrelflight mewed. She felt a lurch in her belly, as if the kits in there already disliked Brambleclaw.

"Well, just ignore him." Ashfur said digging his muzzle into hers.

And this was how Squirrelflight spent her days, she grew into a routine, like Millie had mentioned. Seldom did she talked with anyone else, Dustpelt and Graystripe were regular visitors in the nursery, so she's talk with them sometimes. Sandstorm visited her twice, once Firestar had talked to her. Leafpool came once a day, to check on her and the kits. It was strange, not being a warrior. But she liked it in a way. As if she could do almost anything she wanted, as long as she didn't go on patrol or hunted. Ashfur had even taken over Foxpaw's training for her. She enjoyed her life. And she knew she would for a while yet.

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**Note: **

Yeah, the ending came fast, I know. I just didn't know what to do for it, so I ended it like that.  
But the next chapter will be a lot better, I promise.  
I won't tell you what's going to happen though. It's a surprise.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own warriors.  
Or the characters.  
Or the herbs.  
Or blah blah blah....

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**Note:**

I promised a good chapter, so a good chapter it's gonna be.  
Anyways, the italics are from what's happening with Ashfur,  
normal is Squirrelflight.  
Basically to show the amount of time passing through Squirrelflight's point of view, and Ashfur's point of view.

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_It was early in the evening, the sun was falling, Ashfur was heading back to the warriors den. It had been at least two moons since Squirrelflight had told him she was going to have kits, and he knew that she was getting impatient, really, he was too. As he entered the den, he heard pawsteps behind him. He turned around curiously, when the nursery. Leafpool was running into the nursery. For a second he was curious why, the next, he knew. Squirrelflight was having her kits._

_Ashfur ran over, he couldn't believe it, he had only just been in there. Fear struck his heart, what if something went wrong, he remembered Graystripe's first mate, who had died having his kits. That couldn't happen to Squirrelflight. Leafpool wouldn't let it happen, he knew it. He ran to the den and poked his head in, only to be shouted at by Millie, "Ashfur, no! Get out!"_

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Squirrelflight smiled as her mate left the den, she watched him for a few seconds, when suddenly pain shot through her. She didn't know what was happening, she just knew that there was pain, and lots of it.

She felt everything quiver in pain, she looked toward the entrance, to see Ferncloud race out. Everything was starting to get fuzzy and she couldn't make out things. Seconds later the gray she-cat entered the den, followed by a brown fuzzy blob she knew as her sister. She smiled weakly, then saw another fuzzy gray circle pop in.

She heard Millie mew, "Ashfur, no! Get out!" Squirrelflight didnt' blame her, and she didn't object. She didn't want her mate to see her right now, she just wanted it to be her and her sister, though she knew that's not what was going to be like.

"Alright Squirrelflight, in a minute here, you're going to have to help and push. When the next spasm comes." Squirrelflight asked when a spasm came, because everything hurt, when suddenly more pain crashed through her body. Squirrelflight did as her sister had said.

"StarClan help me." she muttered underneath her gasps for air.

"Good Squirrelflight, you're doing fine." she heard the words faintly.

As the waves came and came, it seemed like it would never end, when suddenly she heard a soft _plop_ from somewhere.

"Great, Ferncloud, take it." she mewed. The waves didn't seem to lessen on their strength though. Squirrelflight knew that was the first kit, but she didn't know how many more there would be.

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_Ashfur listened intently, wondering what was happening in there. He heard snippets of Leafpool's voice. Most of the words weren't understandable. Then he heard gasping from Squirrelflight, fear struck his heart. He didnt' dare look in again in fear. Then he heard her mutter, "StarClan help me."_

_Seconds later he heard Leafpool mew, "Great, Ferncloud, take it." He guessed that the first kit must have been born. He had the urge to look in, but he didn't. Knowing that he'd probably just get in the way._

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Squirrelflight felt everything move slowly. Spasms raked her faster and faster, with more force each time, and then another faint _plop. _Again everything moved slowly, for so long hard spasms just raked her and raked her. She guessed it would be sun-high before the kits were all finally born.

She heard again another _plop_. It was so slow, she couldn't believe it, there couldn't be a kitting this long ever. Leafpool's constant mewing was all she could here. She felt everything hurting, she couldn't believe it. How many more kits could there be? She couldn't see anything, all there was was fuzzy blured vision. What was going to happen?

Finally another plop. Squirrelflight thought that had to be the end of it, but no, pain continued to rake her. Leafpool's voice flooded her, "There's still another kit." she gasped. "Ashfur, get in here!" she yowled, the slightest sound of panic in her voice. Squirrelflight tried to smile at her, to reassure her, but just then another spasm coarsed through her body, making her grit her teeth. These one's weren't as bad though.

* * *

_Seconds after Ferncloud had taken the first cat, Leafpool called Daisy's name, and then Millie to each take a kit. Then Leafpool called his name. "Ashfur, get in here!" There was a peircing peice of panic in her voice. Slowly Ashfur walked in, a small gray kit lay near Leafpool. "Lick it like the others." she mewed gently. Ashfur looked, the queens were licking the kits the opposite way. Gently, Ashfur started to do it himself._

_Though he was licking the kit, he never took his gaze off of Squirrelflight. She looked like she was in so much pain, it scared Ashfur. "Is she okay?" he asked softly._

_"She's doing fine, just lick the kit." Leafpool's mew was hard. He knew she was just as scared as he was._

* * *

Squirrelflight suddenly heard the faintest plop. The spasms had stopped, there were no more, and her body was peaceful. With a sigh, she saw Leafpool drop a small kit infront of her as her vision increased. The blurs turned into the familiar cats she knew. Gently, she licked the kit infront of her the wrong way, warming it, listening to it as it gently took its first gasps of air.

The queens and Ashfur started placing the other kits at her belly. She grabbed the kit she was licking and placed it by her belly too. She watched as the small kits snuggled closer to the warmth of her belly, and started to suckle. Then everything went black.

* * *

_Ashfur couldn't beleive it. One second, Squirrelflight was fine and watching their kits start to burrow deep into her belly. The next, her green eyes rolled into the back of her head, until they could see only the whites of her eyes, and her head fell back, so she looked as if she was in a weird postion of sleep._

_"Squirrelflight!" Ashfur yowled, but Leafpool beat him to his mate._

_She looked over her, "She's breathing. That's all we can hope for." Leafpool whispered. "We just need to hope that her breathing increases." she looked to the cats around her. "I don't blame her really. Four kits is tiring enough from what I've seen. But five, now that's a lot. She must be exhausted." her explaination wasn't good enough for Ashfur though._

_"She'll be okay, won't she?"_

_"She'll be fine. By the way, you have three sons and two daughters." she walked out, and stopped at the entrance. "Congratulations." she mewed, and walked out._

_Ashfur looked to the she-cats, suddenly feeling a rush of embarressment. "Congratulaitions." Ferncloud mewed putting her muzzle to his._

_"Thanks." he mewed. "I'm going to head back to the warriors den now." he said stumbling over the words. As he tripped over a small rock, he felt his fur become hot, and he walked out into the clearing. The sun had almost entirely gone away. He couldn't beleive that so little time had passed. As he laid down in his nest, he instantly fell asleep, eager to start a different life._


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Warriors at all.  
But the kits are all my own creations.

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Squirrelflight opened her eyes in shock, her head up quickly. She stared around, looking at the nursery walls.

"Squirrelflight, you're okay." Millie's mew came from around the corner of her eyes. "Daisy, go get Leafpool and then Ashfur." she mewed gently. Daisy nodded happily. She ran out of the nursery.

"Wh-what happened?" Squirrelflight asked, everything was dizzy, and she was very hungry and thirsty.

"Well, you see, after having you kits, you kind of, fell asleep. We didn't know what happened. It's a little past sun-high now, and you've been asleep since sunset. Ashfur was in here half the night, and then most of the morning. Only a little while ago did he fall asleep finally after Ferncloud begged him to."

"Wow." Squirrelflight mewed, then there was a sudden strong nudge at her stomach, she looked down to see a small kit nudging at her belly, wanting milk. It was gray with darker flecks like Ashfur and Ferncloud. Except it had much more flecks on it than both of them. A smile went over her face, as she watched the kit bury it's face into her warm fur.

"So it's true. Squirrelflight, are you all right?" Leafpool's voice came from the entrance. She went up to her sister, and dropped some herbs by her. I brought you some borage, you'll defiantly need it with all of these kits." she mewed. Then Ashfur ran in.

"Squirrelflight." he mewed walking in, with a sigh of relief he licked her ear. "You're all right." he mewed.

"She needs to eat the herbs. Ashfur, go get her some fresh-kill, and then get some soaked moss, you must be starving."

"Yes, I am." Squirrelflight mewed.

Ashfur nodded, then rushed out. Squirrelflight took some of the borage leaves, she didn't like the taste, but she knew it was necessary. Then she felt another nudge on her belly, another kit was now digging it's muzzle into her belly. This one was dark gray. "What are they?" Squirrelflight asked.

"Three of them are toms, two of them are she-kits." Leafpool mewed.

"Do you know what you're going to name them?" Daisy mewed.

"I might, if I'd been awake. Has anyone come to see me while I was asleep?" she asked.

"I went up to Firestar and Sandstorm shortly after, I thought that they should know at least. They came by and smiled at the kits and you, but they were worried about you being asleep. Sandstorm told me she'd check on you later today."

"Brambleclaw came in, he glared at the kits then walked out. He didn't say anything." Ferncloud added.

"Oh, and Graystripe came by to see me. He thought the kits were cute." Millie mewed.

"Well that's nice." Squirrelflight mewed as Ashfur walked into the den. A sparrow and a piece of dripping moss hung from his mouth. He dropped them in front of his mate. Thirstily Squirrelflight took every last drop of water, before moving on to the sparrow.

"You're thirsty." Leafpool laughed.

"I've had kits, and been asleep almost a day. I think I deserve some credit here." she mewed. Then took a large bite of the sparrow.

"And you do." Ashfur mewed happily.

"Yes, definitely. For half a second last night I thought that the kits were never going to stop coming. We could get the whole of ThunderClan in here, and there would always be another kit coming." Millie mewed. Squirrelflight laughed to that.

"Well, we're lucky that didn't happen." Squirrelflight mewed. The sparrow was gone, and she was tired again. "If you don't mind, I want to go back to sleep." she mewed, a yawn shortly followed.

"Alright, we'll try to keep the kits quiet. Though, I can't help with your kits."

"Thanks." Squirrelflight mewed, and got herself in a comfy position, while her kits could still be close to her. She put her head down, and stared at the kits. Four of them were gray, one of them was ginger like her. Two of the gray kits had darker flecks, the other two were just dark gray. She smiled at her kits.

Suddenly paws interrupted her quietness, she looked up to see Sandstorm at the entrance. She smiled at her mother. "Hello." she mewed.

"Oh Squirrelflight." Sandstorm mewed walking up to her youngest daughter. "They're beautiful." she whispered.

"Thank you." she mewed.

"There's so many, it's hard to believe."

"I've only known them for a little while. I only woke up a while ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you trying to get to sleep?" Sandstorm asked, noticing the tiredness in her voice.

Squirrelflight nodded, "Well, I'll leave you then. I'll be back later." she mewed, and walked out of the den. Seconds later Squirrelflight fell asleep again.

* * *

As the evening sun filled her eyes, Squirrelflight opened them. She saw that Ferncloud was asleep, Daisy and Millie were talking outside while they're kits played in the evening sun. She then looked toward her small kits.

The first thing she noticed was all of her kits were sound asleep. They lay quiet, the only sound was their gentle breathings, for a long moment Squirrelflight watched as their chests moved up and down gently. Squirrelflight thought then she's find out exactly which one each was.

The ginger, a dark gray, and a gray with darker flecks were all toms, the others were the she-cats. She looked at them, thinking of names for her small kits.

She looked at them, wondering. She took notice of each of their details, wondering. The dark gray tom had sleek fur, he was the largest of each of them. He must have been the oldest, he was sleek and smooth. "Do you like the name of Dockkit?" she asked the tiny kit.

"I think that's a good name." came a voice. Squirrelflight looked up, Ashfur stood above her. "Why, where you thinking that would be his name?"

"Yes. Do you like it?" she mewed.

"I think it's perfect. So, he's going to be Dockkit. What about the ginger one?"

"I don't know. I chose Dockkit, you choose his name."

"How about Redkit?"

"That sounds good. Now, how about the last tom?" Squirrelflight mewed, pointing toward the last one.

"Hmm... How about Pinekit?"

"I like that name. Now for the she-kits. I wanted to name the one that looks like you Swirlkit. See the pattern on her forehead, it's in a swirl."

"That's a good name. Now the last one. How about Wingkit?"

"I love it." Squirrelflight mewed. "Dockkit, Redkit, Pinekit, Swirlkit, and Wingkit. How are we ever to remember all of their names?" she mewed.

"That's great. And we'll manage, I promise. They'll all be fine." Ashfur mewed.

"All right." Silence followed, and the two just stared at their kits happily.

* * *

And there you have it. All of the kits now have names.

For those curious, the order of the kit's goes:

Dockkit, Redkit, Wingkit, Pinekit, and then finally Swirlkit.

Just for those who like to know which kit was born first, who was born last and all of that.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Warriors.  
I only own Dockkit, Redkit, Pinekit, Swirlkit, and Wingkit.

If somebody has used these names before in their stories, that's just pure coincidence.

* * *

As the late afternoon air swirled heavily around the nursery, Squirrrelflight laughed as her kits pushed and squirmed blindly to get to her belly. They'd grown so much in only a quarter moon. Slowly Dockkit blindly pushed his way toward her belly, squirming past his sisters and brothers, until he was the first one to start suckling.

Dockkit was the one who liked a challenge, he had to be first, he would not settle for second, and certainly not last. The first awake, the first to eat, first to go back to sleep. Almost never second, it was funny to watch at times.

Pinekit suddenly started to burrow into her belly, he was Dockkit's biggest competitor. Almost always second, once and a while he could be first, but that was rare.

All at the other three kits slowly started making their way too. Squirrelflight watched them happily.

"Hello Squirrelflight." came a cold voice from the entrance. Squirrelflight's gaze went to the entrance, along with Millie's, who had been grooming her kits.

Brambleclaw stood there, looming. His tabby fur looking darker in the light of the nursery. Giving off a scary shadow that hung over Squirrelflight. "Hello Brambleclaw." she mewed, her voice wasn't as cold, but it was dark all the same.

"How are your... kits?" he growled.

"They're fine. Now if you don't mind, I would enjoy it if you left." her eyes narrowing, staring at him, anger in her eyes. "Well?" she asked growling.

Brambleclaw let out an angry snarl and walked out. Millie went back to grooming Brairkit. "Mother, I don't want to be cleaned anymore." she mewed.

"Well that's to bad, you've got bristles all over your fur. I told you not to go playing in that bush, but you and Blossomkit wanted to anyway." Millie's mew was soft, though there was a tinge of annoyance. She looked toward Squirrelflight, "Kits, they never listen." she laughed.

Squirrelflight let out a chuckle, then looked to her own kits. Gently she started to lick Wingkit, for she was the closest to her and she had stopped suckling. As she groomed her young kitten, she watched, and was amazed when the kit gently open her eyes. They were narrow slits, and her nursery soft fur almost covered them. Squirrelflight stopped and watched her kit, she saw a pair of small dark green eyes staring back at her.

Millie had noticed Squirrelflight suddenly stop and freeze, "What is it?" she asked, worry in her voice.

"It's nothing to worry about Millie." Squirrelflight whispered.

"What is it Squirrelflight. Tell me."

But Squirrelflight ignored her friend, she moved her head around, seeing if any of the others were opening their eyes. Dockkit had already opened his eyes, his were much wider, meaning they were open for a longer amount of time. Why was she not surprised? She looked at them, they were a pale blue, and they looked toward her when she moved over. She smiled at her kit.

"Squirrelflight, tell me! You're worrying me." Millie's voice was now filled with fear. "Is something wrong?"

"No, everything is fine." she mewed.

"What's happening?" Millie asked. Her voice was now less tense, but there was still worry.

"Wingkit and Dockkit have opened their eyes." Squirrelflight mewed. She looked around, trying to see the rest.

"That's wonderful! What color are they?" Millie asked.

"Wingkit has dark green eyes, Dockkit has pale blue." she mewed.

"That's great." As Millie said that, Redkit and Pinekit opened their eyes slowly. Redkit had dark blue eyes, Pinekit had pale green.

"Now all that's left is Swirlkit." Squirrelflight mewed.

"Oh, this is exciting." she mewed. Second passed, as the other four kits stared curiously around, trying to see their new surroundings, freeing themselves from the darkness they once knew. All except for Swirlkit, couldn't see anything still. After a long pause, Swirlkit opened her eyes. Squirrelflight gasped at the sight of her daughter's eyes.

"Squirrelflight?" Millie's mew came, she must have heard the gasp. "What is it? What color are they?"

"It's so strange Millie. I've never seen eyes like hers."

"What color are they?"

"They're swirled. It's hard to explain. Both eyes have green and blue in them. They're swirled together in one. But it's easy to tell where the colors are."

"I don't understand. May I see?"

"Come here." Squirrelflight motioned with her tail. Millie stood up.

"My I see too?" Blossomkit mewed.

"Not now Blossomkit, maybe later." she mewed.

"Okay." Blossomkit's mew was silent, and disappointed. Millie leaned her head over, Swirlkit's eyes were almost all the way open. And it was true, green and blue mixed together, but not well. They were a swirl of color. Matching both the color of Squirrelflight's and Ashfur's.

"I once heard that cats with strange markings, have strange destinies."

"So you think Swirlkit will have an interesting future?"

"Possibly. But I don't know for sure. It was just a rumor some kittypets once spread when this new kittypet came in. One eye orange, the other green. Nothing strange happened to him, he just moved away a while later."

"Oh." Squirrelflight mewed.

Squirrelflight stared at her kit's eyes, who were staring back at her mother. She seemed to know who she was, she seemed entirely aware. _'What could this mean?'_she thought, staring at the strangeness of her kits eyes. But she knew that she would remember what Millie had told her, she would protect her kits, everyone of them. But she'd always keep a closer eye on Swirlkit, just in case.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own any Warriors.  
Except for Squirrelflight's kits. They're all mine.

* * *

Swirlkit opened her eyes she looked around, she was buried deep into her mothers, so that the ginger fur covered her own gray fur. She looked to see her brothers Dockkit and Pinekit play-fighting. Redkit was swatting a piece off moss toward Wingkit. Whitewing - who had moved into the nursery about a moon ago - was sleeping, her belly was huge. Swirlkit stood up, her mother noticed, and her face turned toward her. Her mother's green eyes were warm, and a smile on her face. Swirlkit smiled back.

The gray she-kit stood up and went to join her brother and sister. Suddenly Pinekit fell onto her. The gray tom laughed, and looked at at his sister. "Sorry Swirlkit." he mewed, and charged back at his brother. Suddenly the ball of moss hit her on the tip of her nose. Wingkit gave a giggle. Swirlkit looked at the moss ball, and hit it hard back to her. Her sister hit it hard toward Redkit.

Then there was a flash of brown fur, Brairkit had grabbed the ball of moss, and had hit it toward Blossomkit. "That's our ball." Wingkit mewed loudly.

"We know, but we want to play with you." Blossomkit explained, hitting the ball toward the smaller kit. Millie's kits now six moons old, and she knew they would be moving into the apprentice den soon, Swirlkit guessed they were trying to have much fun as they could before Firestar made them apprentices.

As if reading her mind, Redkit mewed, "When will you become apprentices?"

Brairkit looked toward the ginger tom kit. "Graystripe told us we would be made apprentices today. A little after sun-high. After he comes back from patrol. He told us while you were asleep." she explained.

"That's great!" Wingkit squealed. She ran over to their mother. "Mother, can we watch them become apprentices? Please?" she begged.

"Yeah! Can we?" Pinekit pleaded, trying to squirm out from underneath Dockkit. His paws flailing behind him, trying to get out.

"Well, I guess so." Squirrelflight mewed.

"Thank you!" Swirlkit mewed.

"Briarkit! Blossomkit! Graystripe just walked in!" Bumblekit mewed, running to his sisters.

"Is it time?" Blossomkit mewed.

"I hope so."

Then Firestar's voice came echoing from above. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath Highledge for a clan meeting." Blossomkit, Briarkit, and Bumblekit looked at each other. Millie nudged them out, herding them into the clearing. Squirrelflight stood up as well, the five kits ran in between her legs.

"Settle down you five, and sit down, or you're going back into the nursery." she scolded silently. Ashfur walked over to Squirrelflight, the two sat by each other, Dockkit sat proudly by his father, the other four sat around their mother.

"Icepaw and Foxpaw, come join me here on Highledge." Firestar called. Graystripes kit's put their heads and tails down in dissapointment.

"Icepaw and Foxpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan even at the cost of your lives?" Firestar started.

"I do." Icepaw mewed eagerly, Foxpaw quickly echoed, and his tail bristled with excitement.

"Then, by the power of StarClan, Icepaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Icestorm. StarClan honors your loyalty and speed." he mewed. He moved on the the russet colored apprentice.

"Foxpaw, you shall be known as Foxfleet. StarClan honors you strength and hunting abilities." his mew was strong and happy.

"Icestorm! Foxfleet! Icestorm! Foxfleet!" Toadpaw led the call, happily.

"We also have three apprentices to name." Firestar yowled when the cries had died down. "Briarkit, Bumblekit, and Blossomkit, come join me here on Highledge." Graystripe's kit eagerly ran onto Highledge.

"From this day forward, until they have earned their warrior names, they shall be known as Briarpaw, Bumblepaw, and Blossompaw."

"Briarpaw! Bumblepaw! Blossompaw!" The cheers began. This time Graystripe and Millie started the cheers.

"Briarpaw, you will be trained by Honeyfern. Blossompaw, you will be trained by Poppyfrost. And Bumblepaw, you'll be trained by Berrynose." Firestar yowled. The apprentices went to their new mentors, eagerly. As they touched noses, Swirlkit saw Honeyfern look toward Berrynose, she looked happily, like she wanted him to notice. Berrynose looked over toward her too, he smiled. Swirlkit saw Honeyfern look away, but a smile crossed her face.

"That's what a naming ceremony is like?" Dockkit asked, he sounded disappointed.

"Yes. Why?" Ashfur looked down to his son.

"It's just, it doesn't seem like a ceremony. Shouldn't StarClan shine light down on them or something?" he asked grumpy.

"No. That's not what it's like. Trust me, it feels a lot different when you're getting named." Squirrelflight mewed.

"I can't wait until I'm an apprentice." Redkit mewed. "I want to be a great warrior."

"I'm sure you will be. How could you not be?" Ashfur mewed. "But you still have to wait four more moons."

"It's not fair, I want to be an apprentice now." Dockkit mewed unhappily.

"Well you can stop complaining, and go play."

"No, actually," Squirrelflight mewed, she looked to the sky, the sun was starting to set. "it's time for them to go to bed."

"That's not fair. We already slept for the longest time." Pinekit complained, his eyes drooping.

"You woke up at sunhigh, it's time for you to go to sleep." Squirrelflight mewed. To prove this, Wingkit suddenly gave a loud yawn.

"Wingkit!" Dockkit mewed, unhappily.

"Come on then, go on back to the nursery." she mewed. She herded the kits back into the nursery, though they didn't want to obviously, Ashfur smiled after her, and headed to his own den.

Squirrelflight laid down first, Swirlkit quickly burrowed herself into her mother's soft belly fur. Squirrelflight smiled at her kit, then Dockkit laid down next to his sister, followed quickly by Redkit and Pinekit. Wingkit was slowly making her way, she was tired, and she laid down next to her brothers, falling asleep almost right away.

* * *

A broad shadow moved across the ThunderClan camp, it's body soaking wet, there was no moon, so it was only a dark shadow. It slowly walked into the nursery, it stopped for a moment and looked to the cats sleeping. A ginger she-cat, two white she-cats, and a gray she-cat. His target was the ginger she-cat. He looked toward the kits that lay huddled around her belly. His amber eyes glared angrily.

Carefully, he took the closet two, both pure gray, and slipped away, out of camp. Both of them didn't stir, they were asleep and that was it. He snuck out of the nursery for a while. He came back two more times, until all five of the small kits were gone. Hidden away, then the tom slipped into the warriors den.

* * *

**DUN DUN DUN!**

**TRAITOR IN THUNDERCLAN, READ ALL ABOUT IT!  
****IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

If somebody has ever used Icestorm or Foxfleet,  
that's pure coincidence. I thought they would be  
cool names for them. So I made it up. If somebody  
has used these names, pure coincidence,  
once again.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Warriors.  
I just own Squirrelflight's kits.

* * *

**Note:**

_Italics: _Squirrelflight  
Normal: Dockkit

* * *

_Squirrelflight opened her eyes, her eyes were round, and she slowly woke from her slumber. Barely did seconds pass by before she noticed something. Something terrible. She stood up slowly on wobbly legs, they were shaking from fright. She couldn't believe it, she wouldn't believe it. She walked out of the nursery, and saw Ashfur deciding what to grab. She looked toward him, he must have smelled her._

_His eyes widened, he must have seen the terror. "Squirrelflight. What is it?" he asked, walking up to her, staring closely._

_"The kits." she whispered, unable to say anything else._

_"What about the kits?" he asked, he looked at her carefully. "What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes wide and scared._

_"They're gone."_

* * *

Dockkit opened his eyes, he stared around. Where was he? Mud and dirt filled everything, the walls, the floor. Even the ceiling, cracks of light filled the edge on one side. It was way to high to reach. A full grown cat's head could probably just barely reach out. He looked around, he saw his brothers and sisters. "Everyone! Wake up!" he screamed, fear piercing his voice.

Swirlkit and Wingkit awakened first. They looked around, "Where are we?" Swirlkit asked.

"I don't know. Pinekit, Redkit wake up!" he shouted. The kits opened their eyes, and stared at the dirt den.

"What? Where's mother? Where's the nursery?" Redkit cried.

"Oh, Redkit. Didn't you hear? Mother wanted to move the den, now we live in a hole!" Dockkit screamed.

"Dockkit, I'm scared." Swirlkit mewed quietly.

The gray kit looked at her, "I am to. I am to."

* * *

_Ashfur looked at his mate. "What?"_

_"I woke up, and they were all gone." Squirrelflight's voice was now trembling._

_"No. We need to do something. We should tell Firestar." Ashfur mewed._

_"I know. I needed to tell you first though." she mewed, her voice filled with pain and fear. "I'll go tell Firestar. You, I don't know, just, look for a scent. Maybe whoever stole the kits left a scent trail."_

_"Good idea." he mewed, and started smelling. Squirrelflight ran away, she scurried up Highledge. She saw Sandstorm grooming Firestar. Her mother saw her right away. The pale ginger she-cat looked at her daughter, her eyes grew wide when she saw her daughter trembling fiercely. So did Firestar's._

_"Squirrelflight, what is it?" Firestar asked, sitting up._

_"The kits have been stolen." she mewed._

* * *

Dockkit grunted as his siblings climbed on top of him. "Are you there?" he asked.

"No! It's to high." Wingkit mewed. "I can't reach it on my back legs." she mewed.

"Then get off." Dockkit mewed, and nudged. The other kits fell off. "Now, any other bright ideas? We've tried climbing up to the entrance, but we fell. We tried climbing up on top of each other. That didn't work. Face it, we're not getting out."

"We could scream for help."

"I got a good look at the crack. It's as big as us." Wingkit mewed. "I don't think the noise would get through."

"Perfect." he growled. Just perfect.

Pinekit and Redkit laid down. "I guess we could just go to sleep. Maybe somebody could smell us?" Redkit suggested.

"Maybe, but I don't know." Dockkit mewed. "I really don't know. Let's do it. It'd be the easiest way, we need to save our energy. Maybe we'll have a dream and find a way out." Then he laid down, and fell asleep.

* * *

_Squirrelflight ran on the patrol. She, Ashfur, Cloudtail, Firestar, and Sandstorm were out. After Squirrelflight had explained what had happened, Sandstorm had woken Cloudtail, and got Ashfur. They started a patrol. Cloudtail was one of the best trackers, so he had picked up a faint scent quickly._

_Ashfur was trying to help, Squirrelflight, Firestar, and Sandstorm were keeping a close eye everywhere. To see if they could find something. The group was led into unexplored territory, it was strange, being somewhere they had never been._

_"It ends here." Cloudtail mewed, they'd reached an old oak tree, it looked larger than the Sky Oak. Roots twisted, some hung out from the ground._

_"What now?" Squirrelflight mewed._

_"I don't know. Where could they be?" Firestar mewed, looking._

* * *

Dockkit looked around. He could here voices. First it was Cloudtail's. Then... his mothers! "Mother!" he called. "Wake up everyone!" The four kits woke up. Looking around. "Mother's up there! Come on! Scream!" he called.

The kits looked to the top. "Mother! Mother we're here! Help us! Come on! Please! Mother!" they called, fear in their voices.

* * *

_Squirrelflight heard the faint screaming of something. Calling for someone, calling for her. Right under her. She looked around, she noticed crack in the ground under the oak, barely noticeable, the noise seemed to come from there. She walked over to it, and grabbed a strong looking root. With a hard tug, she tore at it, it came easily. And the screaming could be heard._

_"Mother! Mother!" they shouted. Squirrelflight looked down, and she saw her kits. She saw them screaming still happily. Sandstorm and Firestar were the next there._

_"They're here!" Sandstorm mewed._

_"Good job Squirrelflight." Ashfur mewed._

_"They're deep, but we can get them out." Squirrelflight mewed, gently she jumped down, it was large enough to hold her and the kits. She grabbed Dockkit, she couldn't reach the top, but Sandstorm then grabbed him, and put him on the ground. She grabbed each of the kits, until she was out. She jumped out._

_"Mother, it was scary. We woke up, and then we were in the whole." Redkit mewed. _

_"Well, you'll be okay now. Come on, let's get back to camp." Firestar mewed, the ten cats started to leave._

_When they were half way back to camp, Cloudtail whispered something to Firestar. "The only thing that troubles me, it was hard to find the scent of who took them. But, underneath the kit scent, there was ThunderClan. I couldn't identify who, I just knew it was ThunderClan." _


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Warriors.

* * *

Wingkit, opened her eyes with a shock. Daisy was screaming for the umpteenth time. "No! Stop!" Daisy had been doing this since she was young, the other kits had gotten used to it, but it always brought back the fear, that somebody was coming to take them out of the nursery. To steal them again. She's always be scared.

It had been four moons since then, she was now six moons. Soon she was going to have her apprentice ceremony with her brothers and sister. As she awoke, she saw the normal routine, Pinekit and Dockkit were play-fighting, Redkit was looking eagerly out into the clearing, waiting patiently for no reason. Swirlkit, surprisingly, was awake, tossing a moss ball from side to side, she looked bored.

Wingkit looked out of the den, it was a little before sunhigh. Squirrelflight was nowhere to be seen, which wasn't surprising. Squirrelflight was eager to be a warrior again, and had decided she'd go on the dawn patrol, just to get back into it. She knew that she had to stay with the kits, but she had begged, and Firestar agreed. She had told her kits, and they were happy, one day where they wouldn't have to be so aware of not getting in trouble.

She stood up and ran over to Swirlkit, she'd been so quiet lately. Nobody knew why, since she had been quiet since she was four moons. She usually slept most of the time, and talked rarely. As she walked up to her, she heard a yowl from Firestar.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, join here beneath Highledge for a Clan meeting." Wingkit stuck her head out of the nursery, she saw her mother walking over toward the nursery, she beconed with her tail for them to come. Wingkit and Swirlkit walked out, followed by their brothers.

"Today, we are going to make five new apprentices." Wingkit felt her tail bristle, it was their apprentice ceremony! "Dockkit, Redkit, Wingkit, Pinekit, and Swirlkit please come join me on Highledge." The kits eagerly dashed their way up to the rocky ledge, and stood next to the ginger leader.

"From this day forward, until they have earned their warrior names, these five kits will be called Dockpaw, Redpaw, Wingpaw, Pinepaw, and Swirlpaw." his mew was strong. The cheer started off, the kits listened to their names being called. Firestar waited, and then continued. "Swirlpaw, you shall be mentored by Cinderheart. Cinderheart, you had a hard apprenticeship, but you had the wisdom of a good mentor. I'm sure you are ready to take on your first apprentice. I hope you pass on all you know to this young apprentice." The gray she-cat dipped her head as her new apprentice joined her and they touched noses.

"Pinepaw, you will be mentored by Cloudtail. Cloudtail, you may have been born a kittypet, but you have become a great warrior, I hope you'll pass on all you know, and all that I taught you, to this young apprentice." Pinepaw ran forward to the white warrior, and touched noses excitedly.

"Redpaw, you will be mentored by Hazeltail. Hazeltail, I hope you will pass on the skills that you've learned to this young apprentice." Redpaw ran forward, and touched noses with his new mentor.

"Wingpaw," at the sound of her name, Wingpaw felt her skin crawl underneath her fur, "you will be mentored by Mousewhisker." Wingpaw looked to find the gray and white warrior. "Mousewhisker, I hope you pass on all of the skills you have learned to this young apprentice." Wingpaw ran forward, and touched noses with her mentor.

"Finally, Dockpaw, you will be trained by Brambleclaw. Brambleclaw, you did an excellent job with Berrynose, and even though you've had a rough life, I'm sure you will pass on all that I taught you to this young apprentice." Dockpaw ran forward and touched noses with the deputy, the deputy had a weird gleem in his eyes that Wingpaw couldn't identify.

As the cats walked away, going back to their warrior duties, Mousewhisker looked to his new apprentice. "Well, first of all you should make your nest. There are a lot of apprentices, and you don't want to have one by the entrance, that's where all the coldness comes from during leaf-bare. Then, if you're hungry, grab a piece of fresh-kill, then come back to me when you're done." the warrior mewed. Wingpaw nodded her head, and ran off. It took only a little while to make a nest, and her belly was doing to many flip-flops for her to even think of getting something to eat. She ran up to her mentor.

"Well, how about we go on a patrol. I see one starting right now." Mousewhisker started to walk away, Wingpaw followed carefully. "Hello." the warrior mewed, bowing his head to Cinderheart, who was organizing the patrol.

"Hello Mousewhisker. Do you and Wingpaw want to come on patrol with us?" she asked.

"If you wouldn't mind."

"That's fine, I was going to show Swirlpaw here the borders."

"Great idea. Let's go."

"Wait!" came a call. "Can I go to? I haven't been on a patrol in ages!" It was Spiderleg. "I've only been hunting."

"That's fine. Come on let's go." Cinderheart mewed, and started to walk away. Swirlpaw kept close to her, walking by her mentors side. She was quiet, and seemed distracted, and sad.

"What is it Swirlpaw?" Wingpaw asked quietly.

"Nothing." she mewed.

"Come on, you can tell me." Wingpaw coaxed.

"I told you, it was nothing. Now leave me alone." Swirlpaw mewed, walking on the other side of her mentor. Hurt, Wingpaw dropped behind her mentor, and walked by him.

As the day ended, and Wingpaw walked into the apprentice den, she saw that her brothers were already in their den, talking about their first days. All that was missing was Swirlpaw, who was eating a mouse in the clearing.

"Hey, Wingpaw! What did you do?" Redpaw mewed, motioning for her to lay down in her nest and talk with them.

"Me and Swirlpaw patroled the border, if you don't mind, I'm tired now." she curled up into a ball, and slowly drifted off, ignoring the constant talk of her brothers.

* * *

Wingpaw woke in the middle of the night. The moon was high, and the apprentice den was quiet. For a second anyway, she pricked her ears, to hear soft talking. Wingpaw opened her eyes to narrow slits. She listened to it. She identified the voice as Swirlpaw.

"I'm scared Spottedleaf. When do I have to go?" There was a long pause. "How will I know when the time is right?" Another long pause. "Alright then. I will." Wingpaw looked at her sister, she was talking to nothing. She watched as her sister fell into a deep sleep.

_'Who was she talking to?'_ she asked herself, while she fell asleep herself, she was curious of what Swirlpaw was saying.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own any Warriors.

* * *

Thanks to all of you readers. I enjoy your reviews, and am  
happy to receive them anytime. As always:  
Don't forget to review.

* * *

Wingpaw opened her eyes and groaned, Mousewhisker had called her name. Drowsy, she stood up and walked out of the apprentice den. "What?" she grumbled, feeling a cold breeze that made her still nursery soft fur turn stone cold. She felt shivers crawling up her legs from the ground, until they covered her body.

"You used to wake up late, didn't you? Not anymore, from now on, you're an apprentice, which means you get up early, and go to sleep early." Mousewhisker laughed. "Now, anyways, we're going on a patrol."

"But I already saw the borders." she complained.

"Wrong, you saw the ShadowClan border. Today we're seeing the WindClan border."

"Alright." Wingpaw yawned.

"Come along, it's leaving now." With that, Mousewhisker hurried off. Slowly, Wingpaw followed him. Wingpaw saw the other cats on the patrol. Birchfall, his apprentice Toadpaw, and Brightheart.

"Hey Wingpaw, how did you enjoy your first night in the apprentice den?"

"Long." she muttered grumpy. She'd never waken up so early in her life. She'd fallen asleep when she wanted to, and woke up when she wanted to. She was never told that she had to wake up, or that she had to go to sleep.

"My first one was too. You get used to it though. Hey look, a vole!" The apprentice looked toward Birchfall, his eyes pleading. "Birchfall, can I catch it?" he asked.

After a pause, the warrior nodded his head. "But bury it, we can pick it up on the way back to camp."

"Yes Birchfall!" the apprentice mewed, and dropped into a hunters crouch, in one swift movement he caught the vole. With the limp animal still in his jaws, he dug quickly, and dropped the prey into the small hole.

"I hope you watched carefully Wingpaw. Soon you'll need to be catching prey." Mousewhisker mewed.

"Yes Mousewhisker."

As the patrol moved on, they passed by a strange smelling place with roaming fields of grass. Wingpaw suddenly saw something strange. Three cats, that Wingpaw didn't recognise, were on their side of the ThunderClan border.

"WindClan." Dustpelt growled, he ran over, followed by the rest of the patrol. "Tornear!" he yowled toward the leader of the group. "What are you doing on ThunderClan territory!"

"Taking what should be WindClan's!" the leader of the group yowled, and the battle begun. The smallest of the cats went for Wingpaw. It was a pale ginger she-cat. She was bigger than Wingpaw, and tackled her right away. Wingpaw tried squirming out of the cats grip, but couldn't. Then a flash of black and white fur tackled the cat over.

"Wingpaw! Run!" Mousewhisker grunted, wrestling the one called Tornear.

"But," she started to object.

"Wingpaw!" he growled, and the gray she-cat ran away, into a thick bush.

She watched the battle. A gray tom tackled Mousewhisker, and Toadpaw swirled on the ground, wrestling with her. Then Tornear attacked Dustpelt. Then things changed, the WindClan cats started to run away. The gray tom ran away first, a long gash down his side that was bleeding. Then the she-cat that had attacked her, then finally Tornear.

"Come on, we need to get back to camp." Birchfall mewed, limping.

"Alright." Mousewhisker agreed, he had a small cut that was bleeding on the side of his head.

Wingpaw walked out, "I can grab the vole if you want." Wingpaw mewed, looking at Toadpaw who had a thick gash down his side. The apprentice nodded, and do did Dustpelt.

"Would you like me to go with you?" Mousewhisker asked.

"No, I remember where it is, and I know where the camp is." she mewed. Mousewhisker reluctantly nodded.

As she walked to get the prey, she heard a voice. She recognised it as Swirlpaw's. She froze and listened.

"Please Spottedleaf, you have to tell me!" There was a long voice. The next time she spoke, pain filled her voice. "Please. I just want to know. When will I have to go? You've told me I'll know when the time comes, but I want to know now." There was another long pause. "Don't trust the tiger with the dock? But a dock is a leaf, Leafpool showed me that... Wait, you're talking about Dockpaw, aren't you? Is he in danger?" A shorter pause this time. "You have to tell me! I need to protect my brother! Or warn him, I can't let him go around! Please, tell me. Don't go, please."

Swirlpaw turned around after a pause. "Wingpaw, were you listening?"

"Yeah, sort of. Who were you talking with?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. You were talking about somebody named Spottedleaf, and then you were talking about Dockpaw! Please tell me, you can trust me."

"I'm not telling you anything." she mewed sadly. "Well, I'll see you later." Swirlpaw mewed, with fake joy.

Wingpaw watched her go. "I wish you would trust me." she whispered after her sister. As she watched her disappear, she mewed. "Whoever you are Spottedleaf, please, tell Swirlpaw to trust me. I want to help her. But she won't trust me. If you tell her, maybe she will. Or tell me, I want to help. Please."


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Warriors. But if I did...  
think of all of the things I could do...

1. Be the author of the Warriors.  
2. Choose what goes in the books.  
3. TAKE OVER THE WORLD!  
4. Figure out how to do number three...

* * *

Swirlpaw woke again, it had been a quarter moon since she had become an apprentice. She liked being Cinderheart's apprentice and all, but she couldn't truly enjoy it. Not since before, when she was a kit. She shook away the memories that she had.

She walked out, when Cinderheart walked over to her. "Good morning Swirlpaw." she mewed. "Let's hurry. We're going to go do some battle training with Redpaw and Hazeltail. They've already left, come on, let's hurry."

"Yes Cinderheart." Swirlpaw whispered, her voice quiet. As Cinderheart walked out of the hollow, Swirlpaw followed. As they entered the training hollow, they saw Redpaw trying to learn how to properly do the back kick. Hazeltail was trying his best to explain it, and show it at the same time.

"Just push your back legs out, and put all of your weight on your front paws."

"I'm trying." the apprentice mewed in frustration. Swirlpaw watched for a moment.

"Cinderheart, can I try that?" The gray warrior looked at her apprentice, then nodded. Swirlpaw took a breath, with her back legs she pushed herself forward, making her front side toss forward, as her back legs instinctively tossed behind her. She fell back on her back legs, and looked toward her mentor.

"That was great Swirlpaw!" her mentor praised. Redpaw looked toward his sister.

"How did you do that?" he asked, her threw his back legs up, but they came back quickly.

"You're doing it wrong. You have to push your hind legs so that your chest and head go forward, then your back legs should raise." Swirlpaw explained.

The ginger tom nodded, and tried it. His back legs thrust out powerfully, as he fell back. "That was great!" Hazeltail exclaimed. "Thanks Swirlpaw, I didn't know how to explain that." he admitted.

Swirlpaw smiled. "Alright now, we're going to learn how to..." Cinderheart's voice faded, as she looked into the distance. Swirlpaw followed her gaze, and saw the familiar tortoiseshell she-cat. "Who's that?" she asked out loud.

"Who?" Hazeltail asked padding over. He looked in the right direction where Cinderheart was looking, then mewed, "I don't see anyone there Cinderheart. Are you sure your okay?"

"Yeah. I'm sure." Cinderheart mewed turning back. "I was so sure that," she looked back, the tortoiseshell had disappeared. "never mind." she mewed, and went back to training.

As they walked back, Swirlpaw felt her muscles sore after a long day of training. She could see that Redpaw felt the same. It was past sun high, and they had been training for so long. In the corner of her eye, Swirlpaw saw the same tortoiseshell she-cat she'd known for so long. When they walked into camp, the she-cat did too. When Swirlpaw walked into the apprentice den, she followed.

Swirlpaw laid down her nest. She waited for the she-cat. "What are you doing here? Why do you follow me around everywhere?" she cried. Spottedleaf smiled.

"It's alright young one, I just want to be here when the time comes."

"But you've been with me since I was a kit! Can't you-" she stopped, Redpaw was walking into the den.

"Who are you talking to?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Nobody. You must be hearing things." Swirlpaw mewed.

"I was so- never mind." he mewed. "If Hazeltail wants me, tell her, that I'm going to sleep. And to not wake me up until it's time to eat again." Swirlpaw let out a small chuckle. Redpaw never missed a meal if he could help it. Sometimes she wondered if his mind only revolved around food. She waited until he was snoring, then Swirlpaw stared back to Spottedleaf.

"Can't you leave me alone. For one day? I hate this, you told me to not to tell anyone about you, now I have to lie to everyone. It's all your fault! Leave!"

Spottedleaf's eyes were gentle, she looked at her. "Swirlpaw, you must understand. This is your destiny. And your destiny is coming soon."

"I know that! You've told me so many times! I'm never going to become a warrior! I'll never see my eighth moon! I wish I was never born, so that somebody else got this destiny! I hate it!"

"You have to accept it. I know, I wished that I could have seen many more moons with the Clan. But that wasn't my destiny."

"You died long ago. At least you got a name. I hate you! Leave me alone!" Swirlpaw yowled. "Go away." she growled, curling up and putting her tail over her nose.

"I'm not leaving you. I've seen many apprentices and kits die, each terrified what had happened. You're a cat that can be spared the fear. Just follow me. Believe in me."

"No, I hate you. I want you to leave, and never return. Leave me alone."

"I won't. I'll be waiting for you, I always will."

"And what if I don't do what my future has in store?"

Spottedleaf looked at her. "Then the cats you love will not survive. Your kin, will join your fate." Swirlpaw was quiet, and closed her eyes. Spottedleaf looked gently down, and bowed her head down. Softly she bowed down, and whispered in her ear so that she almost couldn't be heard.

"Beware the tiger in the shadows. The dock will be slashed, if a swirling cat doesn't stop him. For both cannot live. Both must die. Or eight will suffer a terrible fate."


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Warriors.

* * *

Swirlpaw walked into camp with a large mouse in her mouth, she smiled happily. She hadn't seen Spottedleaf in over half a moon. She could finally relax without the constant watch of the annoying StarClan cat. She had also caught the plumpest mouse out of the three apprentices that went on a hunting patrol.

As she placed the mouse in the fresh-kill pile, Spottedleaf's words suddenly started to echo in her head. "Beware the tiger in the shadows. The dock will be slashed if a swirling cat doesn't stop him. For both cannot live, both must die. Or eight will suffer a terrible fate." The words continued to echo, giving her a terrible headache.

"Swirlpaw, are you okay?" Rosepaw mewed, looking at the gray apprentice.

"Yeah, yeah. Just a headache." she growled.

"Do you need to see Leafpool?"

"No, I'm going to go out for a walk. Just for some fresh air."

"Alright, I'll tell anyone who needs to know. Just come back soon, I don't want to end up worrying about you."

"Of course, I'll be back soon. I promise." Swirlpaw mewed, walking toward the entrance. She decided she'd walk to the lake and back. Everything was nice, there was a soft breeze that carried around scents. As she walked down the pathway, she heard a sudden yowl that frightened her. Followed by another echo of Spottedleaf's voice. Except it only went partway.

"Beward teh tiger in the shadows. The dock will be slashed..." it stopped there and echoed, again and again.

Another painful yowl, quickly Swirlpaw followed the yowl, she was suddenly filled with the horrible stench of ShadowClan. She was near the border, only about five fox-lengths away. She listened, the yowl came again. It was much closer, lower down toward the lake. She ran down, listening, suddenly she heard the yowl again, it was getting fainter with weakness. Swirlpaw recognised it as Dockpaw's voice. He was in trouble!

Swirlpaw quickened her pace, she arrived only a fox length from the lake, in a shaded area. She ran low into a thorn bush. She looked, from beneath, she saw her brother bleeding, he was lying on his side, his sides heaving. A sudden lunge from a brown tabby told Swirlpaw all she needed. She looked, it was Brambleclaw, blood soaked his paws, Dockpaw's blood.

There was something off about him though. A weird scent, and a strange gleam in his eyes. Then he started talking. "Squirrelflight should have chosen me. I was the better cat. Why did she ever choose such a horrible cat as her mate? Why!" he lunged again, but he didn't hit Dockpaw this time. "She was never the one who... We went on the journey together! I helped her! We were friends! Best friends!" he lunged and slashed at Dockpaw. The apprentice yowled in pain.

"Why me though Brambleclaw?" Dockpaw asked, some blood came from his mouth.

"If I kill her kits, she'll feel pain. Horrible pain! Then I'll kill her precious mate! Then finally her! I will do it! I will rule!" the warrior yowled. He lunged again, but Swirlpaw couldn't take this anymore. She lunged from the bush, and hit him. Out of surprise he fell.

"Leave my brother alone!" she yowled.

"Swirlpaw! No! He'll kill us!"

"No Dockpaw. I'm going to kill him, and I'm going to die along with him." she whispered hoarsly.

"What! No you won't! Run, I'll be okay."

"The dock will be slashed, if a swirling cat doesn't stop him." she mewed under her breath.

Brambleclaw was staring. "Well look at this. Another kit of that traitor, here to let me kill her."

"No Brambleclaw! I won't let you kill her." Dockpaw mewed.

"It's alright Dockpaw, I know what I must do." she mewed quietly.

"Yes, you must die!" the deputy yowled, lunging for her. Swirlpaw followed, the two fell into a roll, circling each other, getting dangerously close to the edge of the lake.

"No!" Swirlpaw heard her brother yowl, but she knew it was to late. She looked toward him, and smiled, then, with as much strength as she could muster, she pushed both of them over the water. They sank like rocks, going deeper and deeper at the drop off. Brambleclaw's eyes shone fear under the murky water, he tried swimming up, but Swirlpaw grasped his leg, and bit hard into it as it thrashed through the water. With a gasp the deputy lost the last of his air, and started sinking.

He was drowning. He was dying. Swirlpaw smiled, she knew that she had saved them, and also knew that there was not a chance that she could get to the top of the water. So she embraced the water, and muttered, using the last of her air. "Brambleclaw hid in the shadows. He slashed at Dockpaw, but I, Swirlpaw, saved him. Neither lived, so both died." at the last word, she closed her eyes. And she felt everything ebb away, no feeling in her body.

She opened her eyes, and saw the murky water, and Spottedleaf coming after her, beconing with her tail. Swirlpaw nodded, and started moving toward the medicine cat. She had accepted her destiny. She went to join StarClan, happy that she had saved the ones she loved.

* * *

One kit down. Four to go... Not that they'll all die in this story...  
Possibly... I know, I killed off a character, sad. I know.  
You may have guessed by now, that this story isn't following Ashfur and Squirrelflight so much.  
But their kits.  
Don't worry though, we will get back to them, eventually. Probably the last chapter.  
I don't know, I can't tell the future.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Warriors.

* * *

**Note:**

As we all know from the last chapter  
Swirlpaw is dead. But we saw how she  
died from her point of view.  
Now we're going to see it from Dockpaw's point of view.  
More suffering.

Tragic, tragic, tragic.

(Try saying that 3 times fast.)

* * *

Dockpaw waited for the latest lung from his mentor. He flinched, waiting for his claws to rake him. Why couldn't Brambleclaw just finish this already? Why couldn't he had made his pain less, did the deputy have to slash his body in every way before killing him? Did he like to make him suffer like this?

Then he noticed something, the claws never came, Dockpaw opened his eyes, in time to see his sister tackle the broad shouldered cat. "Leave my brother alone!" she yowled. He saw the shock on his mentor's face, he seemed momentarily stunned.

"Swirlpaw! No! He'll kill us!" he yowled, terrified for his younger sister.

Her voice was a hoarse whisper when she talked. Dockpaw had to strain to hear her. "No Dockpaw. I'm going to kill him, and I'm going to die along with him."

"What! No you won't! Run, I'll be okay!" Dockpaw tried to persuade, Brambleclaw looked like he was getting ready to pounce again.

Then Dockpaw heard her mutter something under her breath. He could barely make it out, but was pretty sure what she had said. "The dock will be slashed, if a swirling cat doesn't stop him."

Brambleclaw seemed to have recovered, and was staring, that weird gleam in his eyes. His stance awkward, he didn't look alright. "Well look," he growled, seeming to realize that Swirlpaw had arrived. "at this. Another kit of that traitor, here let me kill her."

"No Brambleclaw, I won't let you kill her." Dockpaw mewed, struggling to get to his paws.

"It's alright Dockpaw. I know what I must do." her voice was quiet.

"Yes! You must die!" he lunged at her, but Swirlpaw was ready, and jumped to meet him in mid-air. They started to roll down toward the lake. What happened next, happened so fast. They were at the edge of the lake. Where a small cliff led to a deep section. Swirlppaw looked at him, and smiled for half a second, then both fell off.

"No!" Dockpaw yowled, struggling he stumbled to move quickly, he had to get his sister. He could care less about Brambleclaw at the moment, he had to get Swirlpaw. He had to. He just had to.

He looked over the edge, the murky water he saw two dark shapes, falling, and disappearing from view. He knew the smaller one was Swirlpaw, bubbles rose from where she came. Dockpaw watched, until her shape was out of sight. He couldn't believe this, his sister was drowning, and he couldn't do anything. He watched, until she was out of sight, and started hobbling back toward the hollow. He had to get back.

Halfway back to camp, everything started to dim. Everything was getting darker. Until finally, everything went black.

* * *

As he opened his eyes, he smelt the intoxicating scent of herbs. He lifted his head, only to have a shock of pain course through his body, and the feeling of being light-headed. Quickly he put his head back down. Everything was still pretty hazy, but he could make out everything. It was late at night, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the brown fur of Leafpool.

His dry throat made everything feel weird. When he took in air, it made his throat sting, and cough.

Hearing the coughing, Leafpool opened her own eyes. She looked around, and saw Dockpaw, his eyes open. "Dockpaw." she mewed gently. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." the apprentice coughed. "My throat is just dry."

"I'll get you some water." Leafpool suggested.

"Yes." he nodded, feeling the pain course through his body. Leafpool walked out for a few seconds, then came back with a piece of moss in her mouth. She waited until after he had drunken a little.

"What happened to you? A patrol found you asleep and bleeding a little while from camp. They went out looking for Swirlpaw. She's missing, when they found you they started to worry, because Brambleclaw wasn't anywhere around. Do you know anything?"

Dockpaw nodded, feeling the pain.

"What is it? Do you want to tell me now, or later."

"It's better you know now. They're dead. Both of them."

"What!" Pain and shock mixed in her eyes.

"Brambleclaw told me that he was going to train me, so we went out. But really, he was trying to kill me. That's why I got all of these cuts and scratches on me. He attacked me, saying things like 'I'll kill her kits, then her mate, and then her. Squirrelflight will pay.' He was going to kill me, when Swirlpaw attacked. I knew she stood no chance, and told her to run. But she wouldn't listen. They rolled off of the ground and into the lake. They're dead. They both drowned." his voice was quiet, when he finished, he looked toward the medicine cat, and saw pain and fear in his eyes.

"He tried to kill you. And then Swirlpaw? But, they rolled off of the edge, and drowned." she mewed, summing it up. "I need to get Firestar. This is to important for it to wait." She ran out, and Dockpaw was left alone. A while later the ginger leader and Leafpool entered the den.

"Dockpaw, please, tell me what happened." Dockpaw told Firestar what had happened. Shock was in his eyes.

"I was right then. So long ago, when I thought... Thank you Dockpaw. You can go back to sleep. I'll name a new deputy tomorrow." he bowed his head and left.

"Leafpool." Dockpaw whispered. "There was something else. Before she died, Swirlpaw muttered, 'The dock will be slashed, if a swirling cat doesn't stop him.' Does that mean anything?"

"I don't know Dockpaw, go back to sleep." Dockpaw nodded, and closed his eyes, almost immediately, and he joined the darkness of sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Warriors.  
I'm still working on that list...  
I have a few ideas for number 3...  
Though they probably wouldn't work...

* * *

Redpaw ran into the medicine cat den, where Dockpaw lay, he was munching on a vole, he smelt strange, it was probably because of the dock, marigold, and spiderwebs that laced his body. "Dockpaw, are you okay? Is it true... about...?" his voice trailed away, it pained him to admit that his sister was dead. He wouldn't admit that his youngest sister was dead, no, he couldn't. Every time he came close, it felt like a thorn pierced his heart, and invisible blood spilled from him. He'd only known for a little while, and yet the pain was as if he had witnessed it himself.

The gray tom looked at him, and frowned, pain, grief, and loss mixed in his eyes. "I'm fine." he chocked, and as he lifted his head, he flinched at the pain that came with it. He looked at the ginger tom for a while, then mewed, "Yes. It's true." he looked away, wincing away at the pain from moving his head.

Redpaw backed away, "Why though? Why did she have to... die?" he whispered in a barely audible tone.

"I don't know, but she seemed to know that she had to. She was so confident, so willing. I know that every warrior has to be willing to give his or her life to their Clan, but Swirlpaw was an apprentice. And she was going up against a warrior, a deputy at that. He was almost twice as large as her, and she was really small. But still, she attacked him anyways, and both, left." Dockpaw whispered, he didn't want to continue. He hated having to repeat this over and over again. He'd seen his sister's death the day before, and he'd already had to repeat it a few times. He was only surprised that Squirrelflight and Ashfur hadn't come in yet.

"Well, I'm just glad you're okay." Redpaw whispered, and started to walk out. He headed toward the fresh-kill pile, he hadn't eaten since yesterday morning. He'd spent the whole night, when he should be eating and sleeping, looking for his sister. He'd come back late, with Dockpaw still limp and asleep. He'd thought that he had been dead, but he was wrong.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath Highledge for a Clan meeting." Firestar's yowl scared him, he hadn't been watching, he'd been thinking of the patrol. Redpaw sat down, and looked up, watching the ginger leader. Other cats joined to, Whitewing's kits weren't paying attention, they were to busy running in and out of paws, stirring up trouble. Coldkit, the largest of the two, always seemed to convince his brother, Thistlekit, to join him in making mischief. Coldkit was white, just like his mother, while Thistlekit was light brown with two white paws and green eyes.

"Coldkit, Thistlekit, come here." Whitewing scolded. "Stop getting in the way, we're about to have a Clan meeting." Thistlekit, being the obediant one, rushed over to his mother's side, while Coldkit trugged over, barely lifting his small paws.

"As you know, yesterday Swirlpaw went missing, during a patrol looking for her, they found Dockpaw asleep near camp, with horrible injuries. Brambleclaw was then found missing as well. There whereabouts were unknown then, last night, Dockpaw awoke, and told me and Leafpool what had happened. Brambleclaw and Swirlpaw are dead!" Gasps rustled through the audience. Some where quiet, Wingpaw looked up at the leader, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Apparently, Brambleclaw as trying to murder Dockpaw! Swirlpaw bravely came to his rescue, and sacrificed her life to save him. Both drowned in a lake." Deathly silence hung over the clearing, the only sound was the gentle breathing, Redpaw started to look for his mother and father. Squirrelflight was shaking, as if this was a cruel dream, and was leaning against Ashfur who looked at his mate gently.

"Now, I would like to do something, before I name the new deputy. I know that it is a little late, but since we have just heard of Swirlpaw's death, I believe that she should have a warrior name, for sacrificing herself for her Clan, that is what a warrior would do, and she defiantly had the making of a warrior to leave us, how she did. Even though she is not here, I'm sure that StarClan will accept her name still."

He looked to the stars and started to say the ancient words. "I ask my warrior ancestors to look upon Swirlpaw. She has learned the warrior code and has given her life in the service of her Clan. Let StarClan receive her as a warrior. She will be known as Swirlsparkle, for the sparkle she gave off, when she was still with us." as he finished, a low chant went through the crowd, it started softly, then became louder and louder.

"Swirlsparkle. Swirlsparkle. Swirlsparkle."

When the chant's became quiet, "The time has come to appoint a new deputy. I say these words before StarClan so that they may here and approve my choice."

* * *

And here, my readers, is where I leave off.  
Who will be the new deputy?

That were **_YOU_** come in.  
Yes **_YOU_** the reader will decide who the new deputy will be.  
But, I would like you to choose from the following three.  
For the one you choose, will effect how long, or how dramatic things are going to get for these cats.

Should the deputy be:

A. Graystripe

B. Dustpelt

or

C. Brackenfur

Or maybe there is somebody else who you think should be deputy?  
These are the three that I found the most able.  
Maybe you'd like Sandstorm to be the deputy?  
Well put that in the review, and I'll consider it.  
I just think that these were the three best qualified to be the deputy, and perhaps leader.

Just please remember the qualifications.

Please don't go and say you want Toadpaw to be the deputy. Reason: He's an apprentice.

Or Millie. Reason: She hasn't had an apprentice yet.

Again, remember to review, or you won't get the deputy you want.

So press the review button please, and remember to review.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Warriors.

**Note:**

I just wanted to thank all of you who replied,  
and help decide who should be deputy, and who shouldn't.

* * *

"My new deputy will be Ashfur." Firestar finished. The gray tom looked at the leader, disbelievingly. He looked surprised, as if he had heard the wrong name. That he wasn't the deputy. Squirrelflight nudged him playfully, and Firestar was smiling at the shock of his deputy.

"Thank you. Wow, uh, thank you. I promise I'll be the best deputy I can be." he smiled, and looked at the crowd of cats. He heard the chant start, it started from Redpaw, then Pinepaw and Wingpaw joined in. In the background of the chanting, he could hear Dockpaw chanting, a smile split on his face. Joy spread through him, it was great. He even thought that maybe Swirlsparkle was cheering up in StarClan for him.

He listened, "Ashfur! Ashfur!"

"We'll also need to find a new mentor for Dockpaw, but Leafpool has informed me, that because of his injuries, he won't be allowed to leave camp for another half moon. When Leafpool has pronounced him fit to leave, we'll get him a new mentor."

As the clearing finally started to leave, Ashfur looked at his mate, who was smiling, but there was still grief in her eyes, he knew that she probably wouldn't get over the loss of their daughter soon. When the crowd had gone almost completely, Ashfur gave a smile again, three kits of his kits were bounding over to him.

"Congratulations!" Wingpaw mewed. Ashfur smiled at his surviving daughter. He knew that no matter what, he'd be careful with her. He'd make sure she'd live, no matter what. He wouldn't loose another daughter, no, he wouldn't loose another one of his kits.

"Yeah, congratulations, deputy." Pinepaw flashed a smile.

"Congratulations." Redpaw muttered, he was obviously happy, but something was troubling him. Most likely the loss of his sister.

"What's it like, being a deputy?" Wingpaw asked suddenly.

"I'll tell you once I know." he joked. "I haven't been one long." Wingpaw smiled innocently, a smile you'd smile when you know you'd just done something wrong.

"Well, I'm going to go see Dockpaw. I haven't seen him awake yet." and with that the gray tom slipped away, heading toward the medicine cat den. He looked, his son was awake, Leafpool was spreading something over his body.

"Hi Ashfur." Leafpool mewed, not taking her eyes off of her patient.

"Hi. Congratulations Ashfur." Dockpaw mewed, flinching, at the leaves and petals that were being spread around his bodies.

"Are you alright?" Ashfur asked, looking at the flinch that he did, his eyes had closed and he made a face that you'd see if somebody had clawed you deeply.

"It hurts to move, and when things touch me in some places, but other than that I feel fine." he admitted, that's when Ashfur noticed that Dockpaw had his head on his paws.

"Well, that's good at least." Ashfur smiled. Suddenly Leafpool ran by him.

"I'm sorry Ashfur, but I need you to go. I need to move a lot to help him, and it doesn't help with you right there. You can come by later and speak with him." she mewed, grabbing some strange looking leaves. The deputy nodded, and walked away.

* * *

It was late at night, Ashfur had seen a strange movement in the clearing, and had decided to investigate. As he walked in the darkness, he found his movement. There was a cat, attacking a tree, growling. Digging her claws deep into the bark, peeling it. Ashfur recognised the cat at once, it was Squirrelflight. "Squirrelflight?" he gasped.

His mate looked toward him, she had angry green eyes. Like cold fire. "Yes. What do you want?" she snapped, her voice was rough and strange.

"I saw you leaving camp, what are you doing?" Suddenly, her eyes changed, they seemed filled with grief and confusion. "Squirrelflight?"

"You're going to kill one of my kits, aren't you? The last deputy did, you're going to too, aren't you?" she gasped.

"What are you talking about Squirrelflight. I would never kill one of our kits." he tried to soothe.

"I trusted Brambleclaw, you saw what he did to Dockpaw! He took Swirlsparkle too, and Dockpaw might go to if Leafpool can't heal him. He'll join his sister." she whispered, almost to herself.

"Squirrelflight, I promise you, it's going to be okay. Dockpaw will live, he's alright." he walked toward his mate and put his head down over her, and she stood their, grief waving off of her. "It's going to be okay." he mewed once more.

She took in a deep breath, and smelt the scent that wafted around her. "I'm sorry. It's so strange. A long time ago, when the kits first opened their eyes, the first time I saw Swirlsparkle's. I told Millie, and she told me that cats with interesting marks, often had interesting destinies. Or at least that's what she had heard. I promised myself I would protect her, I would watch her carefully. When she became an apprentice, I knew that she would have a mentor, and the rest of them would keep her safe. But I was wrong. It was my fault, for letting my guard down. If I had been more careful maybe, if I had followed her..." she became quiet.

Ashfur moved to face her, they looked eye to eye, and he mewed, "Squirrelflight, it's not your fault she died. It was StarClan's will I think, that she was going to do that."

Squirrelflight looked at him. "I want to be left alone for a while longer." she whispered.

"Alright, but if you're not back by morning, I'm sending a patrol to look for you."

She nodded, and sat there, until he was out of sight. Then she started to walk away, from the tree she had clawed, away from ThunderClan and the lake.

* * *

For all of you curious of who the scores stood for the deputy. It goes like this:

_Cinderheart:_ 1

_Graystripe:_ 1

_Dustpelt:_ 2

_Brackenfur:_ 3

**_Ashfur:_ 4**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:**

I DON'T OWN WARRIORS!!!!!!!!!!!

**Note:**

When I was naming Swirlsparkle, I couldn't think of anything.  
It was one of those times when everything is going out, but nothing is coming in.  
Then I heard the word sparkle from somewhere, and I thought 'Why not.'  
Now you know, the why I didn't name her something else...

* * *

Pinepaw walked into the clearing, he saw Toadpaw and Rosepaw laughing at something. They both had eager grins on their faces. Pinepaw knew to well what their faces meant. They were up to something, something that would probably get them in trouble. So he walked up to them, but Toadpaw had run to him instead, Rosepaw ran over toward the apprentice den.

"Pinepaw!" Toadpaw mewed in a low voice. "Me and Rosepaw have this great idea. So, earlier today we heard Squirrelflight saying that she took a walk last night, and she was telling Ashfur that she had heard a strange noise. He said not to worry about it, it probably meant nothing and it was just some strange animal. So they aren't going to look for it, but we apprentices are. We already got Bumblepaw and Briarpaw into it. Do you want to come?"

Pinepaw looked at the black and white apprentice. Then looked away in thought. _'This might be fun. We could find something, or we could get in trouble. But it would be exciting.'_Pinepaw looked again back toward the apprentice, and mewed, "Sure!"

"Cool. Go find your litter-mates. We're leaving a little while after sun-high." Toadpaw looked, it was just a little before the sun hit sun-high. Pinepaw nodded, then started looking.

"I still have a tick on my back." he heard Pinepaw heard Mousefur mew.

"Right on it Mousefur." Wingpaw mew came, she sounded disgusted. She probably had mouse bile on her paws. "There, it's gone. Do you feel anymore, because I don't see any."

"No. Now go away." Mousefur snapped.

Angrily Wingpaw walked out of the Elders den. Grumbling something on how old that she-cat was, and how she couldn't wait until she joined their warriors ancestors. "You're suppose to have respect for your elders." Pinepaw whispered, this made Wingpaw jump, and her fur stood on end. "Come on, the rest of the apprentices are making a patrol, and we're going to find something. We're leaving soon, so get the mouse bile off of your paws fast." Wingpaw nodded, then started to run. "If you see any other apprentice, tell them." Pinepaw mewed before she got out of ear shot.

She nodded again, and started running down toward the lake.

As quickly as he was told, it was even quicker by the time the apprentices started to gather. Soon, the only apprentice who was missing was Dockpaw, who Leafpool had decided that he probably wouldn't be moving for a while longer. He had gotten an infection in one of his cuts, it was a small one, and Leafpool was sure that he would be making a full recovering, but within the next moon or so.

When the clearing was just about clear, Daisy and Ferncloud were napping in the sun on different sides of the clearing, the apprentices slowly started to sneak away. When they were deep within the forest, the apprentices started to relax, and let their guard down a little. Pinepaw looked at the forest, it seemed so different since they weren't with their mentors. It seemed like the threes were even larger than they really were.

As they continued to walk, Blossompaw mewed, "Wait. I don't recognise this place. It looks like ThunderClan territory, but I've never been here before."

"Me neither." Briarpaw mewed.

"Well, we did hear from Squirrelflight that the noise was from somewhere she didn't recognise." Rosepaw suggested.

"Yeah, maybe we're getting close." Toadpaw agreed. From somewhere behind them, there was a low growl. Strange and unfamiliar. "Did anyone else hear that?" Toadpaw whimpered.

"Yeah." Wingpaw mewed.

Redpaw, who was closest to the back, turned around first. There stood five humonguous red animals with bushy tails.

"Foxes." Rosepaw whimpered.

"Run." Toadpaw cried at the top of his lungs. Toadpaw started the fleeing, Pinepaw could feel the hot breath of the foxes on his tail. The eight apprentices screeched and ran as fast as their small legs could carry them. Suddenly, a large root from an ancient oak came upon their running path. Rosepaw made a high jump and got over first, then Toadpaw. Wingpaw stumbled a little, but made it. Briarpaw needed to be pulled over a little by Bumblepaw, but both made it. Redpaw was the next to make it over, and then Blossompaw. Pinepaw got ready to jump, but when he was in the air, he hit the large root, and fell backward.

There was no way to run, the foxes looked hungrily at the small apprentice. "HELP!" Pinepaw yowled, and there was no noise. Only the faint patter of paws running away. "Swirlsparkle save me." he whispered.

He saw them coming closer and closer. The looked eagerly, they looked ready to kill. The paw steps he had heard were gone. This is how it was going to end then. Soon he would join his sister in StarClan. They were slowly making their way, the biggest looked like he would pounce. It was torture, knowing that they were going to kill him, but they were moving so slowly. Couldn't they just kill him faster? Couldn't they just pounce, and let him join my sister?

Soon they were close enough so that he could feel their breathing. As the hot breath caressed his face, he felt himself losing consciousness, most likely out of fear. As he saw the large jaws ready to snap and finally end it, the world went black.

* * *

And this is where I leave it off.  
Will Pinepaw live?  
Or will he be reunited with his sister?  
What other torture can occur?  
Find out in the next chapter.

By the way, Squirrelflight was just taking a walk.  
She wasnt' running away. But she does feel for the loss of her kit.  
She promised to keep her safe, and she couldn't do that.  
Pain for not keeping a promise.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Warriors.  
But I want to!

* * *

Sorry, but I got a bunch of Writers Block crammed in my head,  
so it took me a while to finally get this chapter out.  
Even while I'm writing this, I got it backed up...

* * *

Pinepaw kept his eyes firmly shut, he didn't want to see the end. He couldn't, no, he wouldn't see the end. He flinched, waiting for the pain that came quickly. There was a sudden sting in his back. He heard a voice call, "Leafpool! Pinepaw's awake!" He recognized the voice as Dockpaw's. What was Dockpaw doing here, way out in the forest?

Gradually Pinepaw opened his eyes, he recognized the medicine cat den, and then realized that there was an intoxicating scent of herbs and poultices around him. He looked around, Leafpool was walking into the den, he looked toward where Dockpaw's nest was. His brother was laying there, smiling, with a mischievous face. "What?" was all he could say.

"Nice to see you among the living." Leafpool mewed gently, looking at Pinepaw happily. "You've been asleep for three sunrises." she explained, looking toward her herbs.

"What happened?" he asked, trying to remember. "All I remember was that there were foxes, and then I was here." he looked at the tabby she-cat, who was busy, grabbing some cobwebs and some leaves.

"Well, from what I-" he was cut off by Leafpool, raising her tail for silence.

"You can talk later." she mewed sternly, but gently. "Dockpaw, are you well enough to walk to the warriors den and get Ashfur? Squirrelflight's out on a hunting patrol, and won't be back for some time yet."

"But, I thought you were to injured to move?" Pinepaw mewed.

"Well I was. But it's been a three quarter moons since I was attacked, and apparently I've been healing pretty well, so I've been starting to walk again, starting the day you were attacked by foxes. So far, I've been able to walk to the nursery and back without falling. Leafpool says I'll be able to start training in about a quarter moon, right?" he asked, looking toward Leafpool, she didn't respond, so he continued. "Anyways, Ashfur and Squirrelflight were in here so much! Ashfur didn't leave until Leafpool told him that as soon as you woke up, she would get him."

"Dockpaw, just try and get to Ashfur, alright?" Leafpool sighed. "You can gossip and inform him later, but right now, you need to go get your father, I don't want to go against my word."

"Yes Leafpool." Dockpaw grumbled, he winced a little as he stood up, and his legs were a little wobbly, but other than that, he seemed fine. He shakily walked out of the den, and headed toward the warriors den. He stumbled a few times, but caught himself.

"Leafpool, what happened?" Pinepaw mewed, trying to see the medicine cat, but when he moved his head back, he flinched in pain.

"Well, it went something like this...

_Dockpaw turned his head toward the sleeping medicine cat. He had just seen every apprentice, except himself, leave camp for some reason. "Leafpool, wake up!" he mewed. Slowly the tabby medicine cat lifted her head from her nest, and looked at the injured apprentice._

_"Yes Dockpaw?" she yawned, blinking her eyes a few time. "What is it?"_

_"All of the apprentices just left camp? Do you know why?"_

_"No Dockpaw. Maybe they're all just going to train. Don't worry about it. And if that was your way of trying to get out of camp, its not going to work." she mewed._

_"No, I was just wondering why all of the apprentices were leaving. There wasn't a single warrior anyway." he mewed._

_"I don't know Dockpaw. I'm sorry, how about I look around and find someone who knows why they've left camp?" Leafpool mewed, shaking her head to help wake herself up some more. The apprentice nodded, and she stood up. "Don't go anywhere." she mewed, looking at him. The apprentice had started to stand again, and he could walk a few steps along with that._

_"Yes Leafpool." he sighed, and the tabby cat walked out of the medicine cat den._

"Pinepaw!" a voice came from the entrance of the den. Ashfur stood there, smiling. He padded in. "How are you?" he asked.

"I'm alright. Though my back hurts." he mewed. "Speaking of, what happened there?"

"Well...

_Leafpool walked into the warriors den. Ashfur was in his nest, cleaning himself. He looked at the amber-eyed she-cat, "Hello Leafpool. What do you need?" he asked._

_"Dockpaw saw all of the apprentices leave." she mewed. "Do you know anything about it?"_

_"Did you suggest that they were out training?"_

_"Yes, he said there were no warriors. It was a patrol of every apprentice." Leafpool explained._

_"Hm. You go back, I'll figure out what's happening. I'll tell you when I figure this out." the she-cat nodded, and walked away, back to her den. The gray tom stood up, and walked out of the den. He looked around, and saw Wingpaw's mentor, Mousewhisker, grabbing a mouse from the fresh-kill pile._

_"Mousewhisker!" he called across the clearing, the tom turned, and looked toward the deputy. He set down his mouse at his paws._

_"Yes Ashfur?" the gray tom padded up to the warrior._

_"Do you know why yours and the rest of your apprentices left camp?"_

_"No. The last time I saw Wingpaw, she had gotten into a fight with Briarpaw, so I told her to check the elders for ticks. That was only a while ago." he explained. _

_"Well, she's gone, and so are all the others."_

_Mousewhisker looked at the deputy. "Would you like me to take a patrol to go look for them?"_

_"Yes. I'll round up some other cats. There's no telling what a bunch of young apprentices can do." he sighed. "Finish your mouse first, and then we'll look for the apprentices." The warrior nodded, and started to eat his mouse. _

Ashfur stopped his story, and walked out of the medicine cat den.

"Ashfur, where are you going?" Pinepaw mewed after him. But the deputy didn't respond. He came back a long while later, Squirrelflight was with him.

"Hey Pinepaw, how are you doing?" the she-cat asked. She looked toward Leafpool, her eyes wide.

"He's going to make a full recovery, I've already told you that." Leafpool's mew sounded annoyed.

"Yeah, and I feel fine." Pinepaw muttered.

"Well, that's good. I can't stay long, I need to go on another hunting patrol. I don't get how we're going through so much prey so fast." she sighed shaking her head. She smiled and head out, she looked to her sister, and smiled, of some unspoken sadness. It was a strange look, that Pinepaw couldn't read.

He looked at it, and then before he knew it, the ginger she-cat walked away. The gray deputy followed quickly. "Leafpool, can you tell me what happened now?"

"I wasn't there, but Ashfur told me when he brought you here...

_Ashfur walked out of camp, followed by Mousewhisker, Cloudtail, Sandstorm, Foxfleet, and Icestorm. The patrol looked around, trying to find where the apprentices had gone. "Ashfur, do you have any idea where they are?" Icestorm mewed._

_"No Icestorm. We can only follow the trail." he mewed._

_The patrol moved forward, when they heard a strange growl. "Does anyone else hear that?" Foxfleet asked. Everybody nodded._

_"Come on." Ashfur mewed, starting a soft sprint. The others followed quickly, around a small cluster of trees on unknown territory, they looked around, and saw three huge foxes. Bigger than they ever had seen. Then, at the feet of the biggest one, Ashfur saw a clump of fur. The gray scrap had red marks, and was bleeding badly._

_"Pinepaw." Sandstorm whispered, looking at the scrap. Ashfur smelt the air, and she was right. _

_"Come on!" Cloudtail yowled, running toward his apprentice. The foxes lunged at the white tom, but missed narrowly. The patrol started toward the foxes, swiping and biting as best they could. Ashfur joined Cloudtail in the fight against the biggest one, standing in front of his son._

_The russet colored muzzle lunged for Cloudtail, but Ashfur swiped at it, leaving a deep gash. It growled at him, and snapped, tearing a peice of fur from from near his neck, before Cloudtail lunged, thrusting his teeth deep into the foxes throat. It squealed in pain, and started to run, then there was a heart splitting, ear grinding screech. _

_"Mousewhisker!" Sandstorm yowled, Ashfur ran over, the gray and white tom lay there, his throat whelming with blood._

_"I'm sorry." he coughed, spluttering some blood onto the grass._

_"It's alright, we'll get you to Leafpool." he mewed, but the gray-and-white tom's eyes were glazing over, and right before their eyes, the gray tom joined their ancestors in StarClan._

_"Run!" came a shrill voice from behind them. The five warriors turned around, the apprentices were rushing over toward them. Wingpaw was near the lead, and looked at them, then to the body of her mentor._

_"Mousewhisker." she whispered._

"Mousewhisker, died?" Pinepaw mewed. "And I was bit by a fox?"

"Yes Pinepaw." Leafpool whispered.

"Who's Wingpaw's mentor?"

"Wingpaw doesn't have a mentor yet. Firestar was very angry at the apprentices you see, and told them that they weren't allowed to leave camp for a quarter moon. The only reason they could leave would be to wash their paws of mouse bile, or collect moss. Wingpaw wasn't told who her mentor was, she'll get one by the end of her punishment though." Dockpaw explained. "You would have been in trouble to, but Blossompaw felt bad for you, and told him that you had come to find them after they left, and unfortunately found them when the foxes came."

"Wow, that was nice of her." Pinepaw mewed.

"Yeah." Dockpaw mewed.

"I thought it was kind of sweet really." Leafpool mewed. "Firestar wasn't sure if he believed it, but eventually accepted that. You're lucky." her mew was playful, and she had a smile on her face.

"How long will I be here Leafpool?" Pinepaw asked.

"A quarter moon more if all goes well. If its slow then it'll take a half moon. We'll have to see how it goes." she mewed, and laid down in her own nest. "Would you like me to get you two anything?" she asked.

"Can I have a sparrow please?" Pinepaw asked. He was so hungry, that he could eat a fox.

"Oh, and a mouse for me!" Dockpaw mewed.

Leafpool nodded, and walked out of the den.

* * *

Yes, and again, sorry that I got writers block and took so long to get this chapter out.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Warriors.

* * *

**Note:**

The reason I changed the rating from **_K_** to **_T _**was because I thought  
**serious injuries**, **suicide**, **murder**, **attempted murder**, and **death** was a little to violent for younger children.  
Not to mention this chapter is gonna get interesting...

* * *

Wingpaw opened her eyes and stretched, the early morning sun that filtered into the apprentice den shone on her gray fur. It had been two moons at least since Mousewhisker was killed by the foxes. Dockpaw and Pinepaw were out of the medicine cat den, and were now training hard, ready to become warriors.

Her dark green eyes scanned the area, she noticed that Bumblepaw was already gone, so was Dockpaw and Redpaw. Briarpaw and Blossompaw were gossiping in a corner. And Redpaw was asleep. She wandered into the clearing, she saw Thornclaw, her new mentor, talking with Brackenfur, while sharing a rabbit. A cold breeze blurred through camp, it was nearing new-leaf, and prey was starting to run plentifully. Wingpaw ran over to her mentor.

"What are we doing today Thorn-" she was stopped by Bumblepaw, rushing into camp, part of his face was bloody.

"ShadowClan's invading!" he yowled.

Firestar walked out of his den. "What happened?" he asked.

"We were on patrol by the ShadowClan border. We were attacked by a ShadowClan patrol on our side of the border. There was a large stentch of them that was getting closer, like the whole Clan was coming!" he informed.

"Oh no." Firestar growled. He looked around, almost all of the cats were looking now. The queens were huddled in the nursery, Ferncloud, Daisy, and Whitewing stood huddled. The elders were looking at the ginger leader, waiting for instructions. "All warriors able to fight, get ready. Elders and queens, get into my den. We need warriors to stay behind and keep everyone safe that's in here."

"I'll stay!" Birchfall yowled. Rosepetal stood forward, along with Hazeltail.

Firestar nodded. "Alright, Leafpool, I hope you have a good stock of herbs. I have a feeling that ShadowClan won't leave without a good fight." Leafpool nodded. "Go! They're coming!" He yowled, jumping from Highledge as the queens and elders walked past him into his den. "We're going to need everyone." Wingpaw heard him mutter.

"Come back." Daisy called to Toadfoot and Berrynose. They nodded, and ran out. Wingpaw couldn't blame her, she was worried for her kits. After Mousewhisker's death, and the battle that was to come, she'd be nervous too.

ThunderClan started toward the exit, everyone was scattered around, and everyone was obviously nervous and ready to fight to the death. Half way to the border, there was a large yowl. A large white cat, who Wingpaw recognised as Blackstar, pounced. A couple other warriors followed quickly. Firestar yowled, and slashed at the leader, a couple of warriors joined in the fight.

"What are you doing here Blackstar." Firestar grunted, shoving the large tom off of him.

"I'm here to purify the Clans. Don't you understand, you accept kittypets and half-Clans, that's what your Clan is. Your blood is mixing, and its time for it to stop." Blackstar growled, swiping at the ginger leader.

"Obviously you've forgotten about Tawnypelt and her kits!" Squirrelflight's yowl came from father back.

"She's a true ShadowClan warrior though, and so are her kits. Her father was Tigerstar, he was leader of ShadowClan if you've forgotten. In fact, she's fighting right now, along with her kits." he growled. "Besides, I wouldn't be worrying about here, I would be worrying about the warriors by the border. They are vastly out numbered, and from what I heard, one is already dead." a smirk whipped on his face.

"Wingpaw, Foxfleet, Icestorm, Briarpaw, and Blossompaw, come on!" Thornclaw yowled. He started to running toward the border, the group followed, and listened for anything else. Thornclaw yowled, as he spotted ThunderClan warriors trying to fight. But ThunderClan was outnumbered. Spiderleg was being forced to fight off two ShadowClan warriors.

Thornclaw jumped next to the tall warrior. Spiderleg smiled, and slashed at a brown ShadowClan cat. Wingpaw tackled a cream-furred apprentice, a little older than she was. She clawed at her ear, and the apprentice threw her off, digging a claw into her shoulder before she fell out of reach.

"Looks like ThunderClan is as weak as the stories say." The apprentice laughed, and jumped onto Wingpaw. With her back legs, she started to claw the apprentice's stomach, some blood trekked down to the her gray fur, but not to much.

The apprentice clawed along Wingpaw's muzzle, before digging her teeth into the front of Wingpaw's throat. Wingpaw slashed at her, but the apprentice wouldn't stop, she kept increasing pressure, everything started to become dimmer.

"Tell me, scum, what's your name? I want to know which one I kill." she snarled.

"Wingpaw. And yours." she growled.

"Dawnpaw. Good-bye." she snarled, suddenly she was tackled off by a blur of gray.

"Get off of my sister." it growled, Wingpaw stood up, she heard the rushing of blood in her ears, where she was cut there was a warm sensation, and she could feel the warm crimson blood oozing from her injuries. They weren't so bad, and she could deal with it. She joined in on the battle with Dockpaw.

Suddenly, a tabby shaped came from behind, and tackled Dockpaw. The cat looked exactly like Brambleclaw. "B-b-b" Dockpaw stuttered looking into the amber eyes of the apprentice. "N-no. No!" he yowled fighting back, clawing at the tabby's belly. "I won't let you kill me. I'll kill you!" his blue eyes blared, as he looked into the eyes of the apprentice, fire burning.

Dawnpaw was now standing, and she lunged for Wingpaw, but she dodged. Wingpaw lunged now, and landed on the ShadowClan apprentice, bowling her over, so that she stood above her. Wingpaw clawed at her flank, digging deep.

"Stop it! I give in!" she yowled from beneath. Wingpaw knew that a ThunderClan cat never killed, only showed them that they should never return to a fight against them. She stood back, and Dawnpaw stood up weakly, her flank heaving, blood spilled from it. Slowly, she started her descend, and she started to head back to her camp.

She looked for Dockpaw and the tabby apprentice. They were behind a small shrub, Dockpaw was winning. The apprentice was standing but barely, and blood poured from almost everywhere. "Stop. I... thought Thunder...Clan... didn't kill." the tabby tom panted, he was laying on his side.

"I'll kill you if I want. This is for Swirlsparkle. This is for me." he growled, Dockpaw looked at the tom. Pain and hatred filtered through his eyes.

"Dockpaw! Stop! That's not Brambleclaw!" Wingpaw yowled to him.

"Yes. He. Is. Look. At. Him. He's an exact replica. It's Brambleclaw." Dockpaw snarled, his eyes looking to her.

"My name is Tigerpaw mouse brain!" the apprentice yowled, standing up, and trying to walk away.

"ThunderClan doesn't kill."

"No. But I need revenge. You didn't see our sister die! I did! It was him I tell you! He almost killed me. Now I'm-"

"As bad as him!" Wingpaw snapped. "Let him go. He's not Brambleclaw. Swirlsparkle saw what was to come, and she did what was right. She killed him, and herself. Don't do it! He's ShadowClan. So what, he looks like him, but he's not." She looked to Tigerpaw. "Go, I'll hold him back." she mewed. The apprentice looked at her, and nodded. Slowly he trudged away.

"No!" Dockpaw yowled, lunging, but Wingpaw beat him to it. She pinned him down, keeping him down until the apprentice was out of sight, covered by the shield of battle. "You let him go."

"Yes. I did. And I don't regret it. Go fight someone else." Wingpaw stepped off, her eyes narrow as she stared at her brother. He nodded, and ran into battle.

"Retreat!" A yowl called. ShadowClan cats were racing past, running toward their own Clans.

Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of white fur dash by her. It stopped, and looked at her. "If I can't kill Firestar, you'll be my ticket to what I need." he growled. Wingpaw knew it was Blackstar. Suddenly, before she could do anything, his jaws clamped down on her back. She squealed in pain. Suddenly, he started to run, back to ShadowClan territory, her in his mouth.

"Help!" she yowled, she looked back to ThunderClan territory, and when she took in breaths, all she could smell was the stench of ShadowClan. She turned her head slightly, to look at Blackstar. "Let me go!" she yowled.

"No." he muttered through her fur. "You're our prisoner now. Until we get what we want."

"What is that?" she asked fiercely.

"Firestar's death." he replied. She stopped talking, and looked out, to where she could see ThunderClan retreating back to their own Clan. _'Nobody knows I'm gone.'_ she thought.

* * *

Redpaw looked around, he already had had his wounds looked after. He was looking for his littermates.

"Redpaw!" a call came, Dockpaw was rushing after him. "How did it go with you?"

"Great! Me and Pinepaw fought off a warrior. It was young, but defiantly a warrior. How about you?"

"Uh... well... I almost killed an apprentice, but other than that no."

"Well, as long as it wasn't anything crazy." Redpaw laughed. "Where's Wingpaw?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen her since she stopped me from killing the apprentice." Dockpaw admitted.

"Dockpaw! Redpaw!" Pinepaw called, distress in his voice.

"What is it?" Redpaw asked.

"ShadowClan isn't attacking again is it?" Dockpaw asked.

"No. Even worse. Wingpaw is missing."

"What!?" the brothers exclaimed.

"Nobodies has seen her since ShadowClan retreated." Pinepaw explained.

"This isn't good." Dockpaw said, shaking his head.

"No. Firestar's about to call a meeting, to see who's here, and who's missing. But mainly, to see if anyone has found Wingpaw." Pinepaw mewed.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, join here beneath Highledge for an emergency Clan meeting." Firestar's yowl came.

Every cat stopped talking, and looked up to the ginger leader as he continued, "It has just been reported that a cat is missing. When was the last time anyone saw Wingpaw?" he asked.

Dockpaw was the first to speak. "She was with me the last time I saw her. Right before ShadowClan retreated." Firestar nodded.

Nobody spoke up. "I haven't seen her at all since the battle." Thornclaw mewed. "I was helping Spiderleg, and I knew she would most likely be okay. I saw her winning a battle against an apprentice." he suggested.

Firestar looked around. "All right. Has anyone else gone missing?" Nobody spoke up. "We can only assume that Wingpaw has been captured by ShadowClan." Gasps rang from the crowd.

"Then lets go and get her back!" Squirrelflight called, she was limping on her front paw, but she looked like she would kill.

"Why did they take her?" Hazeltail called.

"Will they kill her?" Spiderleg called. Squirrelflight gave a cold glance toward the tall warrior, who shrugged.

"I don't know." Firestar called, he raised his tail for silence, which came. "Tomorrow, I will bring a patrol to ShadowClan's border, and try and find out." The cats looked at him, some nodded, and then he walked back into his den.

"What can we do?" Pinepaw whispered to his brothers.

"I don't know." Dockpaw replied.

Redpaw looked after Firestar. "We're going to get our sister back." he replied. "Tomorrow, I'm going on that patrol."


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own **Warriors**.

* * *

**Note:**

Yes, this story **_has_**drifted away from Squirrelflight and Ashfur. It's following their kits. I've seen a million reviews about how this story is slowly drifting away from the two. I admit it! Okay, there. Can I please, pretty pretty please with whip cream, sugar, and a cherry on top, stop getting reviews! I get at least one per chapter. Now that that is out... Please review!

* * *

Wingpaw was carried into the ShadowClan camp, feeling useless and horrible. She'd either die, or her leader would die for her. She looked around, she saw the cream furred she-cat laying in a den made of thorn bushes. She saw the apprentice she had saved from her brother being treated by a tabby. A ginger colored apprentice was racing from den to den.

A russet-colored she-cat looked at her, her eyes narrowed with cruelness in them. She was dropped on the bottom of a tree. Blackstar jumped to a branch. "All of those well enough, come forth for a Clan meeting." he called. A few warriors and apprentices limped forward. "As you know, our plans failed, but, to make sure that our prize is won. I have stolen a ThunderClan apprentice." Some cats laughed, and narrowed their eyes.

"We need to dig a deep hole to keep this peice of scum. Who can dig it?" he asked.

"I will." said a russet-colored she-cat mewed. She had a deep gash down one of her legs, but she looked strong still.

"Me too." a tortoiseshell she-cat stood, she flinched, but she seemed strong.

"Good. Now, just so she can't run away..." he growled, looking down to the gray apprentice. He jumped down, and swiped one of his huge paws at her, digging deep wounds into her. She yowled in pain, feeling the bloody ooze spill out of her flank, she tried to stand, but the pain kept her down.

For what seemed like moons Wingpaw lay there uselessly, she kept getting cold glares from Dawnpaw, but she didn't really care. She was grasped by her scruff at about sunset, Blackstar was carrying her. He rose his head high above a deep hole and suddenly his teeth disappeared, and Wingpaw was left with only air to catch her. She heard a sickening crunch when she hit the bottom, and incredible pain in her front leg.

She looked up, and saw the white tom smiling. "Have fun." he snarled, and her hole was covered by a quick layer of grass, leaves, and other things. Wingpaw put her head down, and struggled to get into a comforting position. She looked to the top, waiting silently.

* * *

"Firestar, should we start the patrol?" Ashfur asked. The gray tom stood at the entrance to the ginger's leader den. Green eyes stared back to him, they shone confidently. But there was a hint of worry that clouded a small spot in his eyes.

"Yes Ashfur. Have you gathered the patrol that I asked for?" Firestar mewed softly.

"Yes Firestar." the tom said.

"Good, come on." Firestar walked out of his den, and past his deputy. He walked to the clearing, under Highledge, and looked at the cats around him. "Alright, lets get a move on." he mewed, and started toward the exit.

* * *

Wingpaw opened her eyes, and blinked to adjust to the light that filtered into the hole. She looked up hopefully, but all she saw was the ShadowClan medicine cat's head, he carried a bundle of cobwebs.

He put the cobweb's down, and got down into the hole with Wingpaw. Swiftly he grabbed the gray apprentice by the scruff, and jumped out of the hole. He put her on the ground. "Oh! Careful! My leg hurts." she mewed, flinching with pain when he put her bad leg down first.

"I'm sorry." he mewed, and lowered her further on the ground. "I'm just here to clean the wounds Blackstar gave you. He may be cold, but he'd never let a cat die because of the wounds." he explained, and gently started to proud her.

He grabbed some cobwebs and put it on the wounds that were still open and bleeding. He put some gold leaves on it as well, and then looked at her leg. "It's broken, there's really nothing I can do for you there. Keep it straight though, or else it won't heal right."

Wingpaw looked at him, and looked at her twisted leg. "But..." she started, but couldn't finish her sentence.

"I'm going to move it so it's straight, alright?" he mewed, putting one paw on her shoulder. She looked at him, and nodded. Suddenly, she heard a loud crack, and she yowled in pain. She looked to her leg, it was now straight, but it was in really bad pain.

The medicine cat grabbed her by the scruff, and jumped down into the hole, putting her down gently. He hopped up, and covered the hole again. She curled into a ball as best she could. "I want to go home. StarClan help me. I don't want to be here anymore."

"It'll be alright." a soft voice, almost to quiet to here, mewed. "Your life, will save another." Wingpaw closed her eyes, trying to remember the voice. She had heard the voice somewhere before. But this one was slightly different, much more misty, much more different...

"Who is this?" she mewed softly, hopping that it wasn't a ShadowClan apprentice playing a prank.

"You don't recognize me?" it mewed. "Look at me Wingpaw. Look at me." it mewed. Wingpaw looked around, but saw nothing around her.

"Where?" she asked.

"Right here." it mewed, and Wingpaw looked forward. In front of her stood a full grown she-cat. She had a gray pelt, lighter than hers, with flecks that covered her body.

"Who are you?" Wingpaw asked. Grief filtered into the she-cats eyes.

"She was right, I really did change. I asked for it. I knew that nobody would recognise me." she mewed. She looked toward Wingpaw. "When I died, I didn't want to be what I was forever. I was granted permission to become a full grown cat. I knew that I shouldn't have done it. I should have excepted my fate."

Wingpaw stared at her for a while. "Do I know you?" she asked.

"All to well." she mewed, and flashed a smile. She laid down next to Wingpaw, so that she could see her better. Wingpaw gazed over her, noticing every detail. Then it came to her. She gazed over her forehead. The flecks made a swirl upon her head, her eyes were a combination of green and blue...

"Swirlsparkle?" she mewed.

"I have no idea what Firestar was thinking. Swirlsparkle? I asked StarClan for a different name, they were reluctant at first, but I won in the end. It's Swirlpool now. That's why I love Spottedleaf. Nobody has bothered to tell Firestar that yet, or Leafpool, but I'm sure that sooner or later, probably much later, I'll be known as Swirlpool to all." she mewed.

"I can't believe you're here! Why are you here?" Wingpaw asked, trying to sit up.

"To help. You will use your life, to save another. That's all I can say for now, and one of the last times we will meet. " she mewed sadly.

"I don't care, I'm-" she was cut off, Swirlpool had disappeared, and a sound interrupted her.

"Why Firestar, what a pleasent surprise."

* * *

"Blackstar." Firestar mewed, his tone cold. "Yesterday one of our apprentices disappeared after the battle. She was last seen right before you fled the battle. Do you know where she is?"

"Why, yes Firestar. She's with us now." the white tom mewed.

"But why?" Firestar asked.

"Because, I'm going to keep her. Unless you're willing to do something for me." he mewed.

"And what would that be?" Firestar asked.

* * *

"That would be," Blackstar paused for an agonizing second, that seemed to take moons. "letting me kill you until your last life. Then you may have her back." he smiled. Wingpaw gasped. Firestar would never go with this! He couldn't!

Firestar was quiet, and didn't say a word. "Well then, we shall see what you do when you see this apprentice." Blackstar mewed. In a harsh rasping, he yowled, "Russetfur! Get the prisoner!" Light filled Wingpaw's hole once again, and before she had time to adjust, she was yanked out, and placed on the ground, facing her ginger leader. Along with him was Ashfur, Squirrelflight, and Redpaw.

Wingpaw smiled sadly at them, Squirrelflight's eyes blazed in undeniable anger. Ashfur seemed calm, but there was a small spot in his eyes that had the burning sensation that Squirrelflight had. Redpaw looked worried and distressed. Firestar stood tall, his green eyes shown with a blank face. He was calm, but he seemed to be in deep thought.

Firestar gently looked at Ashfur, and then looked back toward Blackstar. "She is an apprentice of ThunderClan, and if it will truly mean giving my life for hers-"

"No!" Wingpaw yowled, looking at the ginger leader. He seemed taken aback by her yowl. "I won't let him kill you." Her voice was now quiet. "And if that means that I have to stay here for the rest of my life, so be it. Let them torture me, let them hurt me, but I will not give in. I will not live the rest of my life knowing that I was the cause of your death."

Firestar blinked at her in surprise, shock spread across his face. Wingpaw looked at the others, Squirrelflight looked at her gently and surprised. Ashfur had a blank look along with Redpaw. She looked up to Russetfur and Blackstar. "You can kill me, you can torture me, but I will not let Firestar die because of you." she growled.

"Are you sure about that Wingpaw?" Firestar mewed finally.

"I'm more sure than anything I've ever done before." she mewed, her eyes closed.

"It looks as though then that she has chosen her own fate Blackstar." Firestar mewed to the ShadowClan leader. Blackstar looked as angry as ever.

"So be it. She will never be allowed to see you again, unless it's for a certain reason. Say your good-byes now. Then I will have a patrol lead you away. You're lucky I'm letting you say good-bye even." he walked into a den, and disappeared.

The four cats walked up to her. "I can't believe you're doing this." Squirrelflight mewed.

"It's for the good of ThunderClan. I would do anything for the good of the Clan." she mewed.

"I can't believe you're going to leave and live with them." Redpaw mewed. "You're my sister, you shouldn't be allowed to do this. Tell her that she can't!" He looked toward the leader and deputy.

"I can't tell her what to do. Nobody ever could." Ashfur smiled.

"She's chosen her own path. She must learn to live with it." Firestar mewed.

"Alright ThunderClan scum, it's time to leave." Russetfur snarled, a small group of cats were behind her.

"Good-bye Wingpaw." Squirrelflight mewed, licking the top of her head.

"Good-bye." Ashfur mewed.

"Maybe we will see each other again one day." Redpaw mewed.

"Maybe." Wingpaw agreed.

"Good luck Wingpaw. Good luck." Firestar mewed, and the four ThunderClan cats walked out of the clearing, and Wingpaw looked at them, broken in her heart, in her soul. She was leaving her Clan, but she knew that it was for the better. Wingpaw was left in the middle of the clearing, she looked at the ShadowClan warriors around her. Many gave her cold glances. A tortoiseshell for a second gave her a look of sympathy, as if thinking of some unspoken long forgotten memory. Dawnpaw had cruel hate filled eyes, Tigerpaw smiled at her once, but when his sister saw him, gave her a cold look.

As sunset approached, Blackstar jumped onto the branch, and called out. "ShadowClan cats, come here!" he yowled. The many cats walked up to him, and looked at him. "As you probably know by know, another ThunderClan apprentice has decided to join us."_ 'Another? What does he mean?' _Wingpaw thought. "But in doing so she has destroyed our plans. Now, I give her a new name. One that will suit her. From this day forth the ThunderClan she-cat formally known as Wingpaw shall be known as Shatteredsoul! Do you disagree?" he glanced down at her.

"No." she mewed. "I do not disagree."


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:**

I don't own Warriors. How many times do I have to say that?

* * *

**Note:**

We're getting close to were the three toms that are left in ThunderClan are getting ready to become warriors.  
So, I have to ask... Should I continue once the three become warriors? Or should I stop and make another story about their lives as warriors?  
I really don't want to stop it... but still, I know that I can't keep them all apprentices forever.  
So, I just wanted to know this. Please review, and send in warrior names for Redpaw, Dockpaw, and Pinepaw.  
Because if you haven't noticed, I'm not the best at making up names.

* * *

Redpaw walked out of the apprentice den, and squinted to try and get used to the light that streamed into his face. He looked around, blinking slightly, until everything was clear. Graystripe was speaking with Bumblepaw, who had thorns and burrs all over his pelt. Blossompaw was eating a mouse, and spotted him. "Hey Redpaw! Come here!" she called.

The ginger apprentice padded over, and looked at the tortoiseshell she-cat. "Hi Blossompaw. What is it?" he asked. Blossompaw finished off her mouse, and then stood up. She was still taller than him, but he was gaining height as well. It didn't help when she was a few moons older than him, but she was almost full grown, and he was still a couple of moons younger. He was a only a little higher than her chin at the moment.

"Guess which three apprentices are becoming warriors?" she mewed, she gave a broad smile.

"Congratulations!" Redpaw purred.

"I was wondering if you... if you knew where Pinepaw was? I wanted to tell him..." she mewed; her fur prickled in embarrassment. Redpaw concealed a laugh. _'Of course she wants to know where he is. She's been looking out and padding after him since we got back from the patrol and the foxes got him.' _

"No, sorry. I think he might be on a patrol." he mewed, trying to make it sound like he didn't know why she wanted him.

"You mean the one with Millie?" she asked. "I mean, she's my mother and I know that Firestar's going to make us warriors once she's back and I heard..." she stopped. Her paws were shifting uncomfortably.

"Yeah, I think so." Redpaw nodded, now trying harder than ever not to laugh or giggle. He was even starting to struggle to keep a straight face.

"Oh good!" she mewed. "I'm going to go help Bumblepaw. He got a lot of burrs in his fur, and Graystripe's really angry at him." she mewed, and walked away.

Redpaw went to the fresh-kill pile, and looked through the prey, trying to figure out what to eat. He was about to grab a sparrow when, "All cat old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Redpaw's fur bristled in shock. He sat down, trying to make it look like he wasn't as scared, but he could tell that his fur was still bristling.

"Today we show that ThunderClan is still strong, even though the last few moons have been hard. We are making three new warriors today. Briarpaw, Bumblepaw, and Blossompaw, join me here on Highledge." Firestar continued. Redpaw watched the apprentices run up the rocky ledge until they stood next to Firestar.

"Briarpaw, Bumblepaw, and Briarpaw, do you promise to uphold the warriors code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the costs of your lives?" he asked, his voice seemed to echo around the hollow.

"I do!" Bumblepaw mewed loudly and proudly. His sisters quickly followed.

"Briarpaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Briarpatch. StarClan honors you strength and swiftness." He looked toward Bumblepaw next.

"Bumblepaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Bumblepelt. StarClan honors you loyalty and hunting abilities." Bumblepelt blinked happily at the ginger leader as he moved on to Blossompaw.

"Blossompaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Blossomfur. StarClan honors you gentleness and courage." Blossomfur smiled proudly.

"Blossomfur! Bumblepelt! Briarpatch! Blossomfur! Bumblepelt! Briarpatch!" the cats in the hollow called eagerly. The three new warriors stood up tall and proud.

"Remember you three, you have to serve vigilance, without speaking until dawn." Firestar mewed. The three looked at him, and nodded. Redpaw looked to the sun, it was nearing sunset. The three bounded off of Highledge once the cheering had died down, and went to serve their vigil.

"Redpaw!" a voice called. He turned and saw Hazeltail padding over to him. "Come on, have you forgotten, we're going on the evening patrol." she mewed.

"Oh yeah!" Redpaw mewed.

"Well then, hurry up, we need to get to the group. They're leaving right now." she mewed, pointing with her tail. Sorreltail and Spiderleg were walking out of the hollow. Hazeltail and Redpaw quickly ran out after them, catching up almost immediately.

The small group walked through the dense forest toward the ShadowClan border. As they walked along, Redpaw looked longingly over the border, to where he remembered where the ShadowClan camp was. Where his sister was.

"It's strange, isn't it?" a voice whispered into her ear. Redpaw jumped, and looked. Spiderleg was looking down at him and smiling.

"Yeah, I can't get over the fact that she's living over there." he whispered.

"It's always strange when somebody leaves the Clan, and goes to live in a different Clan. Most of us know that feeling." he sighed.

"What do you mean?" he mewed.

"Before I was born it happened. We used to be told the story all the time. Did you ever hear that Brambleclaw had a sister?" he asked.

"No."

"Well, he does. Brambleclaw, then called Bramblepaw, had a sister named Tawnypaw. Tawnypaw felt that ThunderClan was blaming her for her father's mistakes. So she went to live in ShadowClan with her father. She's still there you know. Her name is now Tawnypelt. You've probably heard of her now. She was in the group that went on the great journey." Spiderleg smiled.

"Wow." Redpaw whispered.

"Yeah. She's a nice cat. She just had some trouble finding her place. Now she's found her Clan, has a mate, and three kits."

"Who are they?" Redpaw asked.

"I now that one of them is a medicine cat apprentice. Flamepaw. Then there's Tigerpaw, and I think the other one is named Dawnpaw." he mewed, looking down. "Have you ever met them?"

"I think I've heard of Tigerpaw... but no, I don't think I've met them." Redpaw mewed, thinking back to every gathering and patrol.

"You should look for them at the next gathering." he smiled. "Or even Tawnypelt. She's a tortoiseshell, just in case you want to know." Redpaw nodded and smiled.

He looked over the border again, and suddenly saw the ferns rustle. A ShadowClan patrol was coming through. Redpaw gazed over it, a ginger tom and two brown toms had walked out of the bush.

Redpaw looked, hoping for one more cat, but none came.

As the ThunderClan patrol started to walk away, Redpaw heard a cat growl, "Hey, where's the other one?"

Redpaw turned to look, hoping with all his heart. "Shatteredsoul! Get here now!" another cat yowled. Redpaw sighed, that wasn't Wingpaw's name.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" a cat yowled. The voice was so familiar, so he turned around and looked. A gray cat, with her head bowed low came out of the fern. She had a couple of scars on her, and her front leg seemed stiff.

"Spiderleg." Redpaw chocked, the tall tom turned around and looked at him. "Wingpaw." he said, feeling his throat clenched.

"What?" Spiderleg asked, and looked at the ShadowClan patrol. "You're right Redpaw, but there's nothing we can do, come along now, it's time to go back to camp. She's chosen her own path. I'm sorry."

"You're wrong, she can come back now!" Redpaw cried.

"No, she can't. She's chosen her own life, I'm sorry Redpaw. Now hurry, we're falling behind." The warrior walked forward, and Redpaw followed, not taking his eyes off of his sister, until he could no longer see her.

* * *

Yeah, not much happened.

Some cats were made warriors, there's love in the air, and Redpaw misses his sister.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Warriors.

* * *

**Note:**

This is one of those chapters on why this story was rated T.

And my question still stands. Where should I go with the story?  
Should I cut it off and make a new one about their lives as warriors?  
Or, should I leave it, and just follow their lives anyways?  
I'm not entirely sure on what to do here...  
Because I have their _entire lives_ planned out!  
I'm **not** stopping the story anytime soon!

Oh, and please review!

* * *

Dockpaw walked back the trail from the gathering. The walks were long but worth it. He knew that he could no longer see his sister, but he had found out about her luckily...

_Dockpaw waded through the crowd of cats, hoping that the ShadowClan cats had brought the she-cat he was looking for. After having wandered the gathering area twice, he realized that his sister had not come. The young tom sighed, and walked toward the rest of the apprentices. Redpaw and Shrewpaw, from WindClan, where having a jumping contest. A couple others were just talking. _

_He looked at them, so carefree, probably knowing nothing of the deaths that had come, and what they will probably see in their lifetimes. He sat down and watched them uninterested. Then, he looked toward a cream-furred she-cat. She was talking to an apprentice from RiverClan. That was the she-cat that Wingpaw had been battling, right before she was stolen! He walked up to her, "Excuse me? Can I ask you something?" _

_The she-cat looked to him, and realized who he was. "What?" she spat._

_"My sister is in your Clan now, I was wondering..."_

_"Where you wondering why she's allowed on patrols and not here?" she asked. "It's because of Blackstar's orders. He knows that she'll try to defy him, or mess up on her hunting. So, every time she misses a scrap of prey, she's given a scar. Every time she's caught even staring over the borders, she gets attacked. Isn't that great?" Her voice was a cruel taunting laugh._

_"Actually I was going to ask how she was doing?" Dockpaw mewed softly, he couldn't believe what those cats where doing to her!_

_"Oh, you're no fun. She's fine. She's got three scars. Two on her muzzle, on on her shoulder. She just got the one on her shoulder today. I want to give her a scar soon." she mewed, and walked away. Dockpaw glared at her, he couldn't believe this! She was an apprentice of ShadowClan now, and she was being tortured! That was just cruel in every way._

Dockpaw walked into the ThunderClan camp, staring at the clearing around him. He smiled, and walked into the apprentice den. It was kind of lonely in there somehow. There was only Redpaw, Dockpaw, and Pinepaw now. He sighed, knowing that he soon wouldn't have to worry. His warrior ceremony wasn't going to be too much longer. And soon Whitewing's kits would be apprenticed. Sure, they still had about four moons, but until then he would probably have to stay an apprentice.

As night slowly changed its ways into day, the sun barely broke through the stream of clouds the covered the sky. The air was slightly warmer, and this was a sign to everyone that the leafbare that they had endured, would soon be over. Only to be replaced by the warmer sun of newleaf. As the sun rose higher in the sky, Dockpaw was alarmed, by a cat running into the camp. It was Blossomfur, she panted for a second, then mewed, "ShadowClan is attacking again! They've brought almost every cat! More than before!" she announced.

Firestar walked out of his den and stared at her. "Alright then, we need to go and attack. Alright everyone! I need some cats to stay behind and guard the nursery."

Toadfoot and Foxfleet agreed to take on the job, and the rest of the cats ran toward the battle. And when they got there they couldn't believe it. A large group of cats, all reaking of ShadowClan, stood before them. Blackstar stood forward. "This will all end if you give in Firestar!"

"Blackstar!" Firestar snarled. "What is this madness? You need to stop! Cats will be injured!"

"I would kill all of my cats, if that was the only way to kill you. Besides, there's one cat here that's dying to see you again. She gave up once, but she won't give up again." A ginger she-cat dragged a familiar gray apprentice near the white tom.

"Wingpaw!" Redpaw and Dockpaw yowled. Ashfur and Squirrelflight stood next to them, looking at their daughter.

"Didn't you hear? Her name isn't Wingpaw anymore. It's Shatteredsoul." Blackstar yowled, "Now, she'll and the rest of your Clan may leave, back to ThunderClan, if you let me kill you."

"Never!" some of the cats behind them yowled. Dockpaw looked, there were enough cats, at least one for each, but there was a good chance.

"So be it." Blackstar mewed, and lunged for Shatteredsoul. But the she-cat seemed to expect it, and but out an unsheathed claw, it clawed at his throat.

"No, I won't die today Blackstar!" she yowled. Then the ShadowClan cats ran toward the ThunderClan, and the cats clashed into battle. Dockpaw ran forward, he had to help Shatteredsoul. He just had to.

He saw her, much smaller than him, but surely the better cat. He was choking now, and blood spilled, but he attacked anyways. Then the cats drew in front of him, two looked at him, trying to kill obviously. Dockpaw lunged, he had to get to his sister, and wouldn't stop. He clawed at the eyes of one, making them bloody and the cat yowled in pain. The other cat seezed the opportunity, and grabbed Dockpaw's neck. Dockpaw turned and extended his paws, swiping over the cats muzzle, blood swelled from the cut that he had made. The ShadowClan tom yowled in pain and dropped him. Dockpaw smiled. The bloodied eyed one was yowling, he couldn't see.

But the one who he had clawed in the muzzle came for him. Dockpaw swiped at his chest, leaving a long gash down. Blood started to waterfall out of the ShadowClan tom's chest, and he yowled. Dockpaw slashed again along his throat, and the tom tried to get some air. With a final act the tom grazed a paw over his shoulder, leaving a deep cut. Dockpaw flinched, but continued to run toward his sister. She was now fighting two cats!

But then two cats, fighting each other, got in his way. Dockpaw lunged, and grabbed the first cat's neck. He bit deep, and the body went limp. Suddenly, the cat beneath him gasped in shock and surprise, one word the ended Dockpaw. It finished him in so many ways. "Dockpaw?"

He got off and looked, he had attacked the cat, and it was dead, but it was the wrong cat. The cat that sat beneath him was a white she-cat, looking terrified at him. He had killed a Clanmate. He had killed Icestorm. "No. No!" he yowled, and looked toward the ShadowClan cat, looking shocked. He tackled the white she-cat that Icestorm had been fighting, and raked her over the ears. The she-cat yowled in surprise, and bit down on his leg as he fell to the ground. Blood started to soak her muzzle.

Dockpaw yowled in pain as the she-cat bit harder, and used his good front paw to rake over her muzzle. She yowled, and Dockpaw looked at his paw. It was drenched in blood and had teeth marks all over it. He could hardly move it, but he didn't care, Dockpaw ran again, finally making it to his sister.

"Wingpaw!" the she-cat looked. Below her, Blackstar lay, unmoving and limp. He didn't shudder.

"I think I killed him Dockpaw." she mewed silently. The ginger she-cat bent her head over the white tom.

"You did Shatteredsoul. He's dead." she rasped. She seemed truly upset.

"I'm sorry Russetfur! I didn't want him to die. It was an accident!"

"Accident or not you killed your leader!" Russetfur growled.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" Shatteredsoul pleaded.

"For that, you are never to leave camp ever again!" she yowled. "I knew that it shouldn't have been you he tried to kill. But he insisted on it. I thought Tawnypelt would have done better. At least she could have played along and then turned against ThunderClan! ShadowClan, RETREAT!" Russetfur threw her head back and yowled at the top of her lungs. Dockpaw watched as fleeing cats left. Two large muscular toms grabbed Shatteredsoul, dragging her against her will back to camp. Dockpaw ran the other way, back toward his own Clan.

The ThunderClan cats stayed where they were, and looked at the battle field. It was drenched in blood. Dockpaw looked, only two ThunderClan cats where dead. At least four ShadowClan cats were. He looked, the ones who Dockpaw had cut open and blinded were still. Blackstar lay in his own pool of blood. Another cat was dead way over where Dockpaw hadn't been.

"What are we going to do with the ShadowClan cats?" somebody mewed from silently after a long moment of nothing happening.

"We will leave them by the border. Their own cats can pick them up there." Firestar sighed. He looked tired and a bit weaker.

"Alright. Come on everybody. Back to camp!" Ashfur mewed. "Somebody, needs to go get Icestorm and Hazeltail." His father sighed, and looked at the two cats. Squirrelflight, who had a long gash down her side, and Cloudtail, who had a torn ear and a cut leg, walked up to get the cats.

The cats wandered back toward their home, all except for Dockpaw, who sat there. "I can't go back. I don't belong there anymore."

Squirrelflight and Cloudtail walked up to him as they carried the dead toward the camp. "What's wrong Dockpaw?" Squirrelflight mewed between Icestorm's fur.

"I can't go back to camp." he mewed.

"What's this load of fox-dung? You need to get back to camp." Cloudtail growled between Hazeltail's fur.

"I can't. I killed... I killed Icestorm. I don't belong there anymore!" Dockpaw admitted, and as the two cats were frozen in shock, the gray tom ran. North of the ThunderClan border, to unknown territory, wanting to get away. Wanting to be nowhere near the Clans or the lake anymore.

* * *

As Pinepaw walked into the clearing. Blood soaked his fur, most of which wasn't his. He had fallen into a bleeding ShadowClan tom, and his blood had soaked him. He had gone on a quick hunting party with a few other strong cats to catch some more prey for the injured that couldn't hunt. But he wasn't focused on hunting, he was thinking of what Firestar had announced. As they got back to camp, Squirrelflight and Cloudtail ran toward the leader's den after depositing the dead, and their faces were grim. Then, Firestar had announced that his brother had left the Clan because he had killed Icestorm.

"Pinepaw!" a mew rang. Pinepaw looked toward where the noise had come. It was Blossomfur.

"Blossomfur, how are you?" he asked.

"I'm fine, but how are you. I mean, you know."

"I know, I don't want to talk about that right now."

"Alright, you should go get some sleep. You look tired." Blossomfur mewed gently.

"Okay." Pinepaw smiled. He was just about her height now, and he knew that he would be full grown in no time. And that would mean he'd be a warrior, and as a warrior... well... He didn't want to think about what would happen then. Not just yet.

"Is this a bad time?" a mew rang over the hollow. It was unknown, and when Pinepaw looked, he didn't recognise the cats that stood at the entrance. Everyone stared at the three cats in wonder. Firestar came out of his den, and looked over them.

"Who are you?" Firestar asked.

"My name is Lion." the first tom mewed. "This is my sister, Holly, and my brother, Jay."


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Warriors.

* * *

**Note:**

Okay, I know that at the beggining I said that this story would be a story in which Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather were never born. Then I got this idea, _'What if they were just given to some other cat who would go and live far away with them. But, one day they found out about how they weren't really rouges/loners, and how they weren't who they thought that were?'_  
And yeah, so I brought them back.

Oh, and I made up my mind. This will be the first story that I have ever completed. The next chapter, Chapter 23, will be my last chapter of A Different Choice.  
Now, before you scream at the top of your lungs, "NO!" you don't have to worry.  
I will be making a new story, that focuses on Redpaw's, Pinepaw's, Shatteredsouls, and Dock's - Dockpaw renamed himself, he didn't want to have a Clan name anymore - lives. As I said in Chapter 21, I have their whole lives planned, and I've added a few twists here and there to their lives. Get ready readers. Be ready.

* * *

Redpaw looked at the strangers, starring at them curiously. "Well, Holly, Jay, and Lion, what are you doing here?" Firestar mewed.

"We have come in search of our family." the black she-cat, Holly, mewed.

"Why have you come here then?" Firestar asked.

"About one moon cycle ago, we learned that who we thought were our parents, were actually not. They told us that our mother lived with a large group of cats by this lake." Lion mewed. "So, we came to find where our real mother was. We tried to get to another group of cats in a field not to far from here, but they chased us out, so we decided to come here."

"Well, you may talk to me in my den for a while, then we shall decide on some things." Firestar mewed, and the cats nodded, and slowly they made their way up to Firestar's den, where Ashfur and Sandstorm were already waiting.

"I wonder who's kits they are." Pinepaw mewed to his brother. The gray tom sat next to Redpaw and Blossomfur. "Unless they were lying." Redpaw shrugged, and looked around camp. It was nearing sunset, and it was just about time to head into the apprentice den to rest for the night.

"I doubt it. Did you see the look of devotion in the golden cat's eyes? That's the kind of devotion a cat on a mission has on his face." Blossomfur mewed. She looked to where Graystripe had disappeared into the warrior's den. "My father had that look in his eyes when we were young. He told us a story, about how his other litter, and his mate, are all either dead or living somewhere else. His mission was to protect us at all costs. That's still his mission in many ways."

Redpaw and Pinepaw nodded. "Well, I'll see you later Blossomfur." Pinepaw mewed standing up.

"Good bye Pinepaw." Blossomfur mewed, and walked into the warriors den. The brothers looked to each other and walked into their own den to get some much deserved sleep.

* * *

Redpaw awoke to at strange scent filling the apprentice den. He looked around, and saw the three newcomers asleep in nests on the other side of the den. All except for one, the black she-cat. She looked upset as she stared into the clearing, to where dawn broke and showered the hollow.

"You're Holly, right?" he mewed.

"Yes." the she-cat mewed looking toward the ginger apprentice. "Who are you?"

"Oh, my name is Redpaw. So, what's going to be happening to you?" he asked. The she-cat and her brothers were about as big as warriors, but who knew if they had any training at all?

"Firestar is going to let us stay here until we find our parents. But he's only going to let us stay for a moon. I just want to know who are mother was, and learn why she had to give us up." she mewed, her eyes swirling in grief. "Our mother, not the one who lives somewhere by this lake, but our old mother, she was always so nice to us. Then, we had a battle with some other cats... They wanted this rabbit that we caught, but we wouldn't give it to them. Our mother was hurt, and she was dying. She told us then that we weren't her kits. Her own kits had died a few days before we came along. Then she met a she-cat, who was going to have kits. The she-cat offered her kits to our mother. We were the kits, and we were never told. We always thought... Now I don't know what to believe."

"I'm sorry Holly." he mewed. Then he heard his name called. "I have to go, sorry. I'll see you later, alright?"

"Yeah, sure." she mewed, and looked away into the clearing again. Redpaw smiled, and wandered out into the clearing where Firestar waited for him. He seemed weak but strong.

"Yes Firestar?" Redpaw mewed.

"You won't need a new mentor." he mewed. "Because tonight you shall be made a warrior with your brother."

"Really? That's great!" Redpaw mewed.

"Yes. Now, since we'll have Holly, Lion, and Jay, they have agreed to take on apprentice duties in return for their stay here as they search for their mother. So, we won't have to worry about that. But, I want you to go on a patrol before then. Whether it be hunting or border, I don't mind to much. The same goes for your brother." the old tom smiled, and walked back up to Highledge. Redpaw watched, and knew that soon the old tom would retire to the elders den, or worse. Mousefur and Longtail were looking old as well, and knew that they would be leaving to join the ranks of StarClan sooner or later.

Longtail suddenly walked blindly out of the elders den, and looked around with unseeing eyes. "Leafpool?" he rasped, his voice croaking. The tabby brown she-cat walked over to him, she was at the fresh-kill pile.

"Yes Longtail?" she mewed.

"Mousefur... she's, she's..." he stopped.

"Oh no, not another cat." she mewed and walked into the elders den. She emerged only seconds later, her eyes pools of grief. "You're right Longtail. She's in StarClan now. She must have died in her sleep."

"At least she wasn't in pain." the old cat rasped. "I wouldn't have gotten sleep at all if that was the case."

"Well, come on. I'll get you back into the elders den, and take out Mousefur's body." The blind tom smiled, and was led into the den.

Leafpool emerged with a brown heap of fur, and laid it in the sun, to make it look like the carcass was resting, and then ran up to Firestar's den.

"Redpaw, we're going on a hunting patrol, come on!" Brackenfur mewed, obviously not hearing what had just happened. Redpaw ran forward, and looked at the other cats. There was Berrynose and Honeyfern joining them. The cats sent out, eager to start their hunt.

* * *

"It is time that ThunderClan has two new warriors. They have had a tough apprenticeship, and StarClan only knows what the future has in store for them. Now, Pinepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Firestar mewed, continuing with the ancient ceremony.

Boldly, and without question, Pinepaw mewed, "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this moment on you shall be known as Pinenose. StarClan honors your speed and understanding." Pinenose trembled at the sound of his new name and smiled. Then the ThunderClan leader turned toward Redpaw, who smiled with patience.

"Redpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do." Redpaw mewed, his own ginger fur bristling.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this moment on you shall be known as Redclaw. StarClan honors you strength and willingness to move on, even in the toughest of times." Firestar finished. Redclaw and Pinenose smiled at each other proudly, and listened as the Clan chanted their new names.

"Pinenose! Redclaw! Pinenose! Redclaw!" they cheered, the loudest for Pinenose was obviously Blossomfur, while the whole Clan had the same sound for Redclaw. Soon the cats parted, and the two new warriors looked to the sky. Sunset was coming, and it was time for their vigil. They ran down toward the entrance of the camp, and smiled to each other as they took their places. Nothing would get by with them standing guard. Nothing.

* * *

Yeah, I know that this was a short chapter.  
But the next one will be really long, and I know that you'll love it!  
Trust me. If you've stayed with me this far, you're going to love it.

Look forward to the epic ending to:

**_A DIFFERENT CHOICE_**!

That will be the epilogue/only chapter with a title because I got a genius one for it!


	23. Epilogue: Rise

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Warriors.

* * *

**Note:**

Alright people, this is the very end of my story. _Normally _I would have stopped at the last chapter, but I got this good idea. And, now it is time, for the end of my story.  
I just wanted to thank, all of you who reviewed for my story, and I hope that you will read this story over a few times, even though it is now complete.  
Thank you again.

Now, please enjoy:

**_Epilogue: Rise_**

**_

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_**

Ashfur opened his eyes, and walked out into the clearing. So much had happened to him in only a few short seasons. He and Squirrelflight had had kits, one of them was dead, two of them were no longer part of ThunderClan, but two his sons were warriors now. But what he couldn't believe, was that his greatest rival was dead. No longer would he have to worry about Brambleclaw, he had taken his enemy's place, but he did worry about his kits. He smiled as his two sons walked into clearing, having finished their vigil. He stretched, and then something touched him.

He turned to see Sandstorm looking at him, her green eyes wide with terrible grief and loss. Ashfur looked at her and mewed seriously so that only she could here, "What happened Sandstorm?"

"He's dead Ashfur. Firestar died last night." Taken aback by the answer, Ashfur looked at the pale ginger she-cat, his eyes widened with surprise and fear. "You're our leader now. He's gone. Leafpool and Squirrelflight already know, their in his den. But you needed to know as well." Ashfur nodded, and the two cats went to Highledge. Ashfur looked into the darkened den, and looked. Squirrelflight was moaning softly, and Leafpool looked distraught. Sandstorm went to Leafpool's side. Ashfur walked slowly deeper into the cave. Squirrelflight noticed him as his paws scraped the rocks, and walked over to him, she put her muzzle under his chin.

"I can't believe it Ashfur. He's dead." she whispered in a soft voice.

"I can't either Squirrelflight. I can't either." his voice a hoarse whisper.

"Well you have to believe it Ashfur." Leafpool mewed, looking over toward the two. "He's gone, you know what that means. You're our leader Ashfur. You're the leader of ThunderClan. Tomorrow we need to leave for Moonpool, but tonight, you must tell the Clan what has happened. You must have a vigil for our leader." Ashfur nodded, and Squirrelflight fell to his side, and gently rested against him.

"Come, we must prepare. You need to tell the Clan now Ashfur." she mewed. Ashfur nodded, and walked out onto Highledge, and looked around. Cats were gossiping happily and carefree, not yet aware that Firestar was dead. With a deep breath, the gray tom walked forward, and looked upon his Clan.

"Cat of ThunderClan, join here beneath Highledge for an urgent Clan meeting." he yowled, Leafpool nodded. These words were only used during an important time. The cats stopped talking, and looked up to him. "Last night, our leader, Firestar, died." Gasps rang out, and cats started to murmur. "He died in his sleep, there was nothing anyone could have done for him. Now, it is with a heavy heart that I take over the duties of leaders tonight, once we have held Firestar's vigil."

The cats nodded in total sorrow, not knowing what to say.

* * *

Ashfur and Leafpool walked up toward the Moonpool. "What will I do Leafpool?" he mewed softly.

"You'll take a drink from Moonpool and then fall asleep. Then StarClan will give you your nine lives." she she-cat mewed, her voice soft and gentle.

"Alright. I'm ready." he mewed as they walked through a bush and a pool of water, reflecting the stars above, shone brightly. Ashfur took a hesitant step forward, and lapped some water from the Moonpool. He lay down, and closed his eyes, falling asleep almost instantly. As soon as his eyes closed, ice showered his body. Making it feel that if he moved, he'd shatter. Everything was cold, like he was trapped in a forever Leafbare.

Ashfur was wary, and kept his eyes closed, moons might have passed, before he knew something must have gone wrong. He opened his eyes, and saw that he was no longer at the Moonpool, but at the old gathering place. "Fourtrees." he smiled, and looked at the four great oaks that surrounded him, and took in a deep breath, taking in the scents. He couldn't believe that he was back in the old forest. Then he looked toward the skies. Silverpelt was turning from overhead, weaving its way. Ashfur looked in awe, smiling. This was amazing, he wanted to take everything in, so that he would always remember what was happening. Then he noticed that there weren't stars coming toward him, but dozens of cats, walking the skies toward him.

They landed gracefully, the grass swayed gently. "Welcome Ashfur, are you ready to recieve your nine lives?" The voice came from every cat it seemed, but it was clear and soft.

"I am." Ashfur mewed, and watched as the first cat stood forward. His heart must have broke in two as he saw the cat. He recognized her, though it had been seasons since he had seen his beloved mother, Brindleface. "Mother." he mewed, looking at the she-cat. She smiled at him, her eyes soft and proud.

"With this life, I give you the desire to protect. Like a mother would protect her kits." she touched noses with him, and the second she needed searing hot pain coursed through the gray tom's body. She whispered, before she left, "Good luck my son. And don't worry, not all of your lives will be so bad." she walked back toward the group of cats. Ashfur smiled as his mother went back in line.

The next cat was a broad white cat that Ashfur knew to well. "Whitestorm." he mewed. His father smiled at him, and started the next life.

"With this life, I give you loyalty to know what you know is right." Whitestorm touched noses, this life was much gentler than the life that Brindleface had given him.

"I've missed you father, along with mother." he mewed softly. The white tom blinked warmly, and walked back to the group.

The next cat was his old friend, who had died when they were still apprentices. Swiftpaw came forward and smiled softly. "With this life, I give you the gift of mentoring. Use it well to mentor all of those younger than you." They touched noses, this life was painful, but much softer than Brindleface's.

And then came Mousewhisker, smiling at the leader. "I'm so sorry Mousewhisker, if I had known earlier about the apprentices, you would still be with us." The warrior smiled at Ashfur gently.

"It is all right Ashfur, I am fine where I am now. With this life, I gibe you the gift of tireless energy, so that you can serve your Clan to the utmost." This life was fine, Ashfur felt full of energy, and smiled. Then a flash of red came, and all was dark, scaring Ashfur. But he knew this is what the young warrior had seen during his last few moments of living. The next to come up was a white she-cat, smiling softly.

"Icestorm, I want to apologize for-" But Icestorm covered his mouth before he could finish.

"I know what he felt then. And I know that it wasn't easy for him to learn that he killed me. But it was an accident, nothing more. With this life, I give you the gift of courage to defend your Clan in battle." she smiled, and Ashfur took it. But this life was much rougher than he had expected, and a lot easier to take than before. The white she-cat left, to be replaced by a gray and white she-cat.

"Hazeltail, I'm sorry. If I had been quicker, if I had lashed out instead of stalled..." Ashfur whispered. The she-cat smiled at him.

"With this life, I give you the gift of compassion, like those of a medicine cat who help all of her clanmates." This life wasn't to hard, but it had a searing end to it. Ashfur smiled, but he knew that he still had three lives to go. The first was Mousefur.

"With this life, I give you the gift of stubborness, use it well to pursue what you believe in." she mewed, and walked back in line.

The cat that came next broke his heart in two. A beautiful gray she-cat walked toward him. She was full grown, but Ashfur knew who she was almost immediately. "Swirlsparkle." he whispered when she was close enough.

"Actually, I'm called Swirlpool now." she smiled. "I've missed you father." Her eyes clouded with grief. "With this life, I give you the gift of justice. Use it well to judge your Clan fairly." she mewed, and touched noses. If that was pain Ashfur would endure it a million times to please his daughter. She licked his cheek when it was done, and walked back toward the line of cats.

The next was a cat Ashfur recognized. Firestar walked forward, but he was returned to a way that Ashfur had not seen in the longest time. He was young and strong again, he was no longer the weak and determined cat he had last seen him as. He was back to the days he was like Fireheart, strong, brave, and headstrong. "Ashfur." he mewed. "Congratulations. With this life, I give you the gift of nobility, certainty, and faith, so that you will be able to lead your Clan in the way of the warrior code for all nine lives." he pressed his nose to the gray warrior's, and Ashfur took it willingly.

"From this moment on, your name of Ashfur is no more. From this moment on you are Ashstar!" Firestar yowled proud and strong. The cats at Fourtrees cheered strong and proud. Ashstar smiled, and took the name happily. Only hoping that his world would not soon come to an end.

* * *

Ashstar walked back into camp. Pinenose, Redclaw, and Squirrelflight met him instantly. He smiled at his kin, and knew that his life would be long and happy. As long as he had his family, and good friends at his side. But in the back of his mind he could hear Swirlpool, talking to him gently.

"Beware my father. Even though you are leader, the decisions you make now affect everyone, and their kin. And danger is nearer than you think." Ashstar looked at his family, and hoped that he wouldn't have to worry to much about the future. And hoped that this danger wouldn't keep itself concealed for to long. Ashstar could only imagine, the horrors that would happen to ThunderClan in the future.

* * *

Yes! This is the first story I have ever finished! I hope that everyone likes it, and yeah. I will be making a sequel. It shall be called:

**_Cries in the Night_**

I'm already working on the first chapter, and I hope that you will read it.

Again, thank you to all of those who have reviewed, and I hope you look out for my story that will be coming out hopefully in the future.

Thank you all for reading,

**_WarriorsFreak_**


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